Water Ways
by Fawn of the woods
Summary: Naruto continues his training and Yuuki and Hinata return to village life.  But people won't let them be.  Also certain people are hanging with new people these days.  Life has to stay interesting.  NarHin, SkikaTem, NejiTen,
1. Swimming

IMPORTANT! I wrote most of this over a year ago and had no premonition of what was to come. I would have rewritten it, if it wasn't facilitating some important plotlines later. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone.

Note: I plan to publish a summary in the story that brings Naruto home (not next chapter) at the beginning so that people can start there if they don't want to read the entire series before that one or if they's forgotten some things. I really hope everyone likes the stories well enough to read the entire series, but I understand if when browsing, this is annoying.

Disclaimer: me no own Naruto (otherwise this is what would have happened inthe real story :)) so a bow my head to the master of Naruto)

Part of my series:

First story: True Friends Truly Believe /s/3953609/1/

Previous: The Pieces move into Place /s/5704283/1/**  
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**Swimming**

**From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it**

Yuuki laughed as she followed Hanabi into the gardens. The youngster was giggling as she entered the area and located her sister. Hinata was going through a new exercise with Neji. She sighed, sending her thoughts to her cousin. He stopped, agreeing that they shouldn't keep the two tornados waiting. Over the last month, Yuuki had slid right into life in Konoha, but more then that, she and Hanabi had become fast and fun friends. Hinata often wondered if it was the lack of childhood Yuuki had had. Neji usually thought it was because they both enjoyed playing pranks as much as a certain blonde they all knew. Either way, the only non-familial people Hanabi hung out with more than Yuuki was Konohamaru and Co. They were still fast friends and had no trouble accepting Yuuki into the group a sort of mascot. Yuuki took it all with good humor.

She did have a break from the rambunctious children in the form of work and them school. She did water jobs for the village. Her elemental control over water and the flow and the temperature of water was probably the top in the world and the city plumbers were having the time of their lives learning from her. They had already found several potential problems in the city water pipes and corrected them. They didn't know about Seiryuu, but they did know she was brilliant when it came to water. Mui would just sigh and ask Seiryuu questions of her own. Mui, a much younger demon, had far to go before she could come close to Seiryuu's understanding of her natural element. Hinata was just glad to see her Bijuu so excited.

She smiled at the two as they erupted into a frenzy of words. She sorted out that there was to be a visitor visiting Tsunade next week. And there were two, a boy and a girl. They were supposed to be really cool looking. And they were from Suna.

The last bit caught her attention. She had been wondering how Suna was doing, having little contact with the village in the middle of the desert, they had settled with the occasional hawk bearing news. Nothing personal, but many of the Chunnin knew people from Suna. In fact the last group that had come back from visiting Suna and been talking about some friends they had made while there. Even Shikamaru and Ino and Chouji Had made friends while there. Something about protecting a woman from her abusive boyfriend. Hinata sighed and nodded and they went to change.

Neji smiled as they finished changing and met the two in front of the main estate for lunch before Yuuki escorted Hanabi back to the school and went to train. He couldn't tell who was more excited. He knew that Yuuki had a close friend who lived in Suna and that Hanabi was close to Temari. In fact, Hinata and Temari got along pretty well too. He was looking forward to this.

000

"Hey Ino, how's it going?" Ino was working with Miketsu on regaining memory. The three women Sakura had befriended during her capture were in one room. Sousuki, of course, was still in a coma and they were still waiting on Tsunade to find out if she knew Namikaze Nijikou as Dotsuko's mother. Ino had started working with the chakra in the pathways in the brain and they had teased a few memories forward. A walk around the village had helped much. Miketsu could remember much of the village. They had snagged Wakana and the kids of the orphanage where she worked and had wandered the village. Wakana hadn't interacted with the shinobi much when she was younger, but she recognized some of the structures Miketsu recognized or remembered. Placing her memories around 8, maybe 10 years earlier.

While this walk had introduced the two returners to the village and helped Miketsu with sporatic memories, they had yet to uncover any memories of people or someone that recognized her. Though, they would have to try again during a time when more of their jounin sensei were around, since with Wakana's knowledge they placed Miketsu in their generation.

Ino smiled at Sakura as the cherry entered. She was hoping to see her friend once she had settled with the others. She had heard about an extremely tough time for the Hyuuga in their group. It was tough for everyone. Naruto was due back soon and it was starting to wear on everyone. Sakura had kept herself busy with the hospital and Miketsu. Tsunade was busy with some new project called Project 9. She knew that Shikamaru knew what it was, or had at least guessed, but she would let him explain when it was important. She simply passed on all information she came in contact with and dealt with her own problems. The current of which was her best friend. They had had no contact from either Sasuke or Naruto and it must be eating away at her.

"We were just about to try a meditative exercise, where I entered her mind." Sakura frowned worriedly at her closest friend. Ino was the best, even surpassing her father at this tyoe of delicate working, but that was risky.

"Is that wise?" Ino smiled, worried herself.

"We're not sure, but we're going to give it a go." Miketsu's eyes were shining with anticipation. Sakura nodded and prepared for her usual role as medic on watch. She would observe, not only to help if anything should happen, but to collect notes for future use.

000

Ten Ten sighed in exhaustion as she gathered up her scrolls. She had decided some time ago that it was time to re-begin learning her family's most powerful jutsu. There were three scrolls that had been passed down to her when she graduated from the academy from her father. He said that he and her mother had decided she was ready for. He said that they had never been able to perfect them, but she might.

Neji was still worrying about her safety. She wanted to be close to him, but his family had him too scared right now. Plus something else was bothering him. She knew he liked saving her, but she was never a girl who would sit back and let someone else rescue her. Sakura and Ino were like that in their own way and Hinata had her own way of protecting herself, without stepping on the male ego of the heroes in the village, but Ten Ten was a kunoichi. She had been one all her life, and it was part of her soul. Sakura healed, she fought by helping those who did the fighting return to the battle and then return home. Ino gathered information. SHe trusted Shikamaru to direct her to some extent, but she was the type who told the fighters where the enemy was, who they were, and how to defeat them. Hinata was politically minded these days, taking after her father to an extreme. Her abilities in battle were the flow of battle, she could read who was winning and losing and how to tip the balance of power, but an out and out battle wasn't her strong suit.

Ten Ten was a weapon's mistress. Although she was capable of making weapons like her father, she mostly used them. She wanted to protect those close to her. It was hard being in a relationship with someone who didn't want her rescuing her, but the other way around. She loved Neji. She also was herself. She would get stronger and use these scrolls. She had finished the first and was still perfecting the second. She was supposed to come and talk to them about the third when she had perfected the second. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and was about to try the exercise again when Lee showed up with Gai.

000

Naruto stretched his arms over his head. Lunch was approaching. He had spent most of the morning with Shingo-sensei. He was methodically parading through all the possible weapons a shinobi could come in contact with, and Naruto was having a heck of a time keeping up.

-Flashback-

Naruto was yawning slightly as he left the breakfast area. He was getting used to these early mornings, but no amount of experience was going to make him a morning person. He had just opened his mouth again when he heard a mild whistle of a kusarigama. Flipping backwards and landing on the chain attached to the scythe, he looked at the thrower. Shingo was his teacher in various weapons. Various weapons at various weights and sizes. He had held a dagger against a sword the size rivalling the one Zabuza carried and a bow and arrow against kunai. He soon found that his teacher had no problem with him taking his teachers weapon to fight with, if he could. At first they had used the same weapon, but lately, Shingo had had a different weapon to Naruto and he felt a bit stretched to keep up with the jubilant youth, barely older then Naruto by a few years.

This time he noted SHingo carrying a long sword as he hooked the scythe on his toes to flip it up to his hand. He couldn't lie to himself, this was so much fun.

-End Flashback-

They had fought until Shingo got the upper hand. Naruto had only won once. That was with kunai. He had used them all of his life and when he used them against a larger weapon, such as a long sword, he was very capable. Mentally, Naruto began ticking off the weapons he had grown mildly proficient in; kunai, bow and arrow, spear, short sword, long sword, dagger, shurikan, staff, bladed claws, mace, nunchaku, bombs, makibishi, scythe, sebon, tantou, even a fan! He doubted that was going to be the end. Next he was going to eat lunch with Motoko-sensei and they were going to discuss the political situation in the Kirigakure. She was the person to teach him what he used to refer to as book learning. They had gone through history, science, and were now wading through politics of the hidden villages.

000

Sasuke smiled to himself as he watched the children run in the makeshift village. It had been put up only three days ago as his "master" had moved then. The "Migrating Village" followed him and he stayed with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He was spending the evening with Hiroto and Karin. The village was celebrating his visiting. He didn't really like the attention, but he found that they were very annoyed with him when he would protest, and then just celebrate anyway, so he sighed and bore it with as much disgruntled grace as possible. They handled his mood with good humor.

He sighed as he leaned back and closed his eyes. He could almost believe he was home again. That whiny kid was Shikamaru, and the girls over to the side whispering about him were Ino and Sakura. And there, Lee had challenged Neji to another spar and that chuckle was Kakashi-sensei reading. And that boy playing a prank on the adult watching them.

It was Naruto.

For just a moment he was home again.

His eyes sprang open. Home. How long had it been? When did home mean this? When did it stop being his reason for existence? When did the lack of family and home stop being his reason for vengeance? He was still angry about his family, but he looked around at the memories of them, of Ten Ten, Shikamaru and Chouji, of Ino, Shino and Hinata, of Lee, Neji and Kiba, of Sakura, of Naruto. They were his home now. His new family. When did that happen?

_Teme!_

He sat up fast at that. It sounded like...it couldn't be. Must be him thinking of home.

He frowned. Why was he training with Orochimaru? He could've gotten stronger at home. So why?

Because he was too soft at home. He needed to be pushed hard. Yes! That's what he needed. He needed the suffering and pain, to see his victims writhe, to get stronger. That's right. They weren't his family. He had no family. His bastard brother saw to that!

Karin sighed as she saw Sasuke's eyes darken. _He_ was here. They had quickly learned that if their friend was quiet too long, likely _He_ had come out. _He_ was cruel, focused, nothing like Sasuke.

She watched sadly as _He_ walked into the forest back to his master. She swore that she would find a way to help her friend.

Somehow.

000

Ino expected the darkness, but it was disconcerting to Sakura at first, who had tagged along for this particular exercise. They hadn't been sure that she would be able to go along with Ino, but they were so close and Sakura was a mednin. They had been together since the first year of school. They had learned together, played together, fallen in love together, and still argued together. Both were exceptional at chakra control and their understanding of parts of the person, Sakura the body and Ino the mind was almost beyond measure at this point. Now they were working together to heal.

The darkness swirled into blurry colors. They shifted and turned, making Sakura feel slightly nauseous. She heard or felt or something, she wasn't sure what the sensation was. It was similar to when Naruto contacted her, but different, in that Naruto had a distinct bond and voice, even in her mind while Ino was everywhere. Ino was nudging their patient to remember Konoha, her childhood or young adulthood. Miketsu felt confused and a little lost until Ino mentally took her hand in a comforting manner. Sakura smiled mentally as she felt along and attempted to give Miketsu the same cmnfort as well as she could.

Slowly the colors formed a blurry picture. It cleared into training grounds. A much younger Miketsu was smiling and holding a young child. The boy couldn't have been more then two years old. They were both watching another boy, closer to sixteen, throw kunai at a target. When they all hit, Miketsu and the little boy cheered. She laughed as the older boy came over.

"Perfect son, now we just have to teach your brother." The younger reached for his older brother giggling. Chuckling the boy lifted the child up and carried him over to the target.

"Here Otouto, pull it out." The child frowned as the kunai remained stuck in the target. "You have to be able to pull your weapons out of your target before you try putting them in, silly." The child grunted unhappily at him. He knelt down and set the boy on the ground.

"Otouto, listen to your brother and mother on this okay. Never ever use a weapon if you can't restrain it. Never let a weapon be more powerful then the user." The mother was kneeling with them, nodding.

"That's right, and remember, never use people as weapons. They can be many things, but never ever weapons." She hugged her children.

"Mommy has to go away on another mission so she wants you to promise her. Promise that you will always watch each other." The two nodded to their mother. The three fell into a hug as the scene blurred and Ino and Sakura were thrown out of Miketsu's mind.

They blinked, trying to get their bearings as they looked at a teary Miketsu. Doitsuko was sitting next to the woman, holding her in comfort. She was old enough to have grown kids, if she had been quite young when she gave birth to the elder of the two. Her black hair and eyes were strong, usually no-nonsense, but right now she looked so lost. Miketsu was looking at her hands, shaking, almost too stunned to burst into the tears that were already pouring down her face.

"Sons, I have sons."

000

Yuuki was stretching on the edge of the village when she felt the feeling start. She stopped and looked out across the valley.

_Seiryu, do you sense that?_

**_Yes, but its' too faint. Mui might have better luck, being more familiar with this area then I am and she has better range._**

_I'm off_

Yuuki didn't like the feeling of this. It was like a flowing menace, calm and peaceful. Smaller then it felt like it should be, like a bear who was asleep,or more so, like a river before a flood.

Yuuki dashed off in the direction she knew that Hinata and Neji had gone to practice. She hoped they didn't mind the interruption, but this wasn't going to wait.

000

Iruka was smiling a very silly smile. Most of his class knew it. He had sent all but one class with the other teachers to the mountain for training in the caves. It was getting to the time when they taught the students the evacuation drills for the older students and the youngest. The middle group knew what they had to do to evacuate, but weren't old enough to assist in the evacuation. They were still in the school, giggling at their goofy sensei.

Anko was probably smirking as she walked downtown. They had met and Iruka had blushed tomato red as he tried to ask if she would like to join him for lunch. She had been pursuing him on and off for some months, but only recently had he started to reciprocate. She was much more forward than he, but after watching her on the sly, he was beginning to appreciate her sense of duty and humor. Though the humor took some getting used to.

The one thing he was still worried about was Naruto. He was like a son to him and he wouldn't get involved with anyone who couldn't fit into that dynamic.

Speaking of brats, his group of kids had finally noticed his distraction. He sighed as Hanabi and Konohamaru smirked at each other. They were as bad as their role model. With their friends behind them, they were true terrors. Not that he would ever tell their parents or Hinata, that never worked with this type of prankster. The kids worked with him better if he met them without pulling authority figures into the mess. He separated the class into groups and had them cleaning for the day. He organized inside and left the yard for organization by Kiba and Shino who were helping out for the day.

000

Sakura sighed as she replaced the book in the protected box. They had been through five years worth of graduates, but none of them had been the one they were looking for. She started back towards the lobby with Miketsu to meet up with Ino and Doitsuko. They were going to take a break and volunteer in the children's ward.

She had to talk with Ino. She hadn't told her best friend about her link to Naruto. Partially because she wasn't sure how to, but partially because they hadn't talked much since the link was created. Also, neither she nor Ino had had much time off together recently. The Konoha ten hadn't even been able to meet in the last two weeks. The refugees from the camp were in the village still, the jounin were all busy prepping for this project 9, thus leaving the mission to her friends and the new gennin, whom couldn't go unsupervised yet. She knew that Shikamaru had even volunteered to help more with the gennin to take the work load off of the jounin. Shikamaru never volunteered for anything.

Kakashi had been doing a lot of missions out of town, taking Asuma and Hiashi, strangely enough. Hinata had mentioned it in passing that her father was actually a jounin, and had probably been an anbu at some point before clan politics took over his life, but Sakura hadn't internalized it until this last month. Gai had been taking over a lot of Kakashi's normal functions in the village with Iruka's help. All the chunnin were aware of this shift and had taken on more duties. Shino and Kiba had started helping more in the academy to give Iruka more energy to help Gai, and to allow Hinata to cover for her father at home. Neji's group had taken over many of the duties of the jounin so that the few still here could be used for the imperitive mission that could only be given to jounin. Neji and Lee had already left twice with genin teams and Ten Ten was supervising one next week. Even Sakura, she had taken over much of Tsunade's work in the hospital and INo said she was leaving much of this research to mer father as she could so that she could fill in for Ibiki when needed.

It felt mildly as though they were preparing for some sort of quiet war.

000

Yuuki landed next to Hinata out of breath. Neji was panting off to one side as Hinata walked over to her, they never seemed to get any time to practice these days. They had sensed her approaching and Mui was agitated, something was out there, a menace, and Seiryu was worried.

"Hinata-san!" She panted as she approached the Hyuuga, "Beyond the forest...do you sense it?" She couldn't get a sentence out with her loss of breath. Hinata focused in, letting Mui spread her senses out over the land.

Neji was in awe of the power that flowed around him. It was as if he was submerged in an ocean and rolled through a wind funnel. He sighed, realizing he had held his breath to not disturb the feeling of power. He looked at Hinata, expecting a look of confidence with such greatness, but he only saw her pale. Her eyes sprang open and she swore so fluently Neji was sure it was Mui speaking. His cousin didn't really swear.

"Water, lots of it! We've gotta go!" She jumped towards the village as fast as she could, Neji and Yuuki trailing after her in haste. They headed to the hospital. Tsunade should be there.

000

Ten Ten hurried to the for end of the market. Lee had come to tell her that there had been an accident. Two of the walls in her parents shop had exploded. Gai and his student had followed the worried kunoichi as she hurried to her parents, trapped in the crushed building. They hadn't been hurt when Lee had left, but that could change any minute.

000

"You don't understand the magnitude of this water and the speed its moving at!" Hinata was getting very annoyed as she tried to explain herself to the village counsel, sans Tsunade, who was in another meeting. They weren't believing her and the water was coming.

"What water?" She turned in relief to her Hokage. Tsunade entered with Kakashi, Shikamaru, and Asuma.

"A wall of water is coming. Its massive and it'll be here in less then half an hour. You need to evacuate the city!" Tsunade looked at the heir in confusion as one of the counsel spoke up.

"This village can handle a bit of water." Yuuki finally spoke up, sick of these pitiful whiners.

"This is no mere bit of water!" Her sneer left no doubt to what she thought of his retort. "This is three waves of water, enough to cover the entirety of this valley in five stories of water before it drains. They will hit in less than half an hour and you are all squabling about a little thing like your day getting interupted? Some buildings might survive, but people won't!" Tsunade looked at Hinata for confirmation. When the Hyuuga nodded, she turned to the Anbu in the room.

"Sound the evacuation, get all the civilians out of the village and onto highers grounds, Send those far away onto the roofs of their homes and businesses, now!" She looked at the three water shinobi in front of her. "What can we do?" Hinata looked to Yuuki, her control and understanding of large amounts of water was greater.

"Nets with floatation implements, they can catch the civilians who can't get to safety. Those of us with ability with water can stave off some of it, to give the village more time." Tsunade looked at Kakashi and Asuma.

"Kakashi-san, gather the rest of the water users and send them to the wave front, they report to Hinata. Asuma, you and Shikamaru find nets and get them throughout the village. Get!" She looked at Yuuki. "Your help is appreciated." She nodded to the Hyuuga and called as they left. "Sakura! Ino! Start evacuating the hospital!"

000

Gai and Lee perked up at the evacuation alert. They were helping Ten Ten to dig out her family. She looked at them, they had just broken through and were helping her parents out.

"Go, I can get my parents out." Gai and Lee nodded to her and leaped off. Gai had made sure there was a clear path for the adults before leaving. He wondered if this had anything to do with the inch of flowing water in the village. The message he was passed and passed along stated that to get everyone to the mountain or on roofs within twenty minutes. He didn't question, he just started organizing the genin and chunin in the area.

A few mintues later he was informed to start attaching nets around the village. They had a jounin in the village with a spider summons who was mass producing webs with slippery surfaces to avoid sticking. He had no idea what was going on, but he trusted his leaders. Still, he felt more comfortable when he saw Kakashi nearby assisting.

000

Hinata and Yuuki rushed ahead, leaving Neji to direct any water element shinobi after them. They approached the water, which was still moving slowly, gathering water and speed as it arrived. Yuuki sensed dry lakes and streams within the area. The water level where they were was to their ankles and rising fast. The water was moving as fast as they could run. Yuuki let her eyes relax as she gazed into the wall of water. It was several meters thick, each of the three wave she could sense. As they were, they would crash into the village and sweep it away.

"Hinata, pull the water here, I"ll freeze it into a wall." Hinata nodded and started to pull water to them. Yuuki slowly started freezing the water in a thick wall. They were joined by other shiobi and they all worked to build a thick wall of ice.

000

Naruto halted in his lessons on medical treatment of cuts with Hanako-sensei. He felt Hinata pull on her chakra reserves sharply. Bowing respectfully to his teacher he requested a break to assist his mate. Haneko frowned, but nodded. Haruka sat with her and explained what she felt from her nephew as they waited.

Haruka had to grit her teeth. She couldn't do anything from here. All her bonds had been cut when she was trapped all those years ago. She hated this. Her home, her family was in danger and she could do nothing but sit by and waited and pray. Haneko put her worn hand on that of her student.

"Hope is a great strength and help as well, young one. Pray for your family and believe they are strong."

000

The ice wall trembled when the first wave struck it. It was half a meter thick, but it wasn't enough and it wasn't going to hold. Yuuki looked down at the water that was pushing against the ice wall. She placed her hand on the top of the ice and gave a cry.

"Kyaaa!" Seiryu soared through the ice, freezing much of the water trapped behind it. Below the shinobi stared at the display in wonder as the wall quadrupled in thickness. Hinata was at the bottom and felt that the bottom hadn't been thickened. She placed her hand against it and slowly carved structured holes in the bottom to drain the water slowly into the village. Hopefully this would slow the water and lower the sheer amount of water that hit the village at once. It gave the draining system of the village a chance to deal with the liquid.

The water at their feet had risen to their waists as the second wave hit the wall and went over it. It pulled the shinobi along with it.

000

Iruka heard the evacuation sound about the time the water level hit knee deep. Opening the door cause the water to flow in and rush some of the students back into the building. He shoved the rest of the students out the door and let the water sweep him back inside to collect the rest of his students.

Ten Ten had just gotten her father and mother out the building when the water level rose to waist level. They quickly started making their way to a tall building, but with two injured adults, it was slow going.

Sakura carried the last of the child patients out to the roof when she looked across the village and saw a wave ten meters tall heading for the village. (this is roughly 30 feet or 3 stories and change)

"Sensei!" Tsunades eyes went large as she ushered the last of her patients out of the building.

"Everyone find something to grab!"

Gai grabbed the last of the civilians and jumped out to the way just in time to avoid getting hit in the back with the wave as it crashed through the village. He placed the woman on the roof as the wave caught his foot and pulled him under.

He grabbed a breath and felt himself tumble head over foot. He braced himself to hit something hard that could get him to the air, but it wasn't necseassary. A hand clasped his wrist as he fought the current. When he was safely on the roof, he looked up in relief into the eyes of his best friend. Out of breath, he forwent his usual method of gratitude for simply nodding.

Kakashi couldn't describe the panic that gripped his heart when he saw his best friend go under. He was over the side and holding the wrist before he even knew it. He had grabbed the side of the building and pulled them back up, thankful when Gai had forwent his normal method of thanking. He didn't think he would be able to stop himself from returning the hug from another friend he almost lost.

Hinata felt herself spin underwater and out of control for a bit before Mui took over and helped her navigate the currents. She saw Neji fighting to get to air and went towards him. Yuuki had already disappeared, but she knew the jinchuuriki could breathe underwater fairly well. She caught up to Neji as they hit the nets put up in the area. She pulled air down with the water and surrounded his head in air.

Neji coughed a bit in the air, but his discipline took hold and he took a steady breath and then another, giving his cousin a grateful look and swam for the surface on the net they were next to.

Neji was amazed that Hinata had not only kept her head, but she was controling enough water to funnel a current of air down to them. When the water had hit them, he had leaped for Hinata to help her, but she ended up helping him. He frowned at this. She was helping him a lot these days. He would have to think about how much he was helping her later.

They helped others they met on the net work their way to the surface to breathe. Since they had landed quite near the academy most of these were children.

Coughing as they gathered the children and directed them to a nearby roof. The people already there helped them to climb on but it was tough since the water was still several feet lower then the roof of this building. Neji finally climbed up and pulled up the children by sticking to the wall.

"Udon-kun, where's Iruka-sensei?" Neji knew that the sensei would be able to tell them if any children were missing.

"He's still inside with Konohamaru-kun, Mimichi-chan, Hanabi-chan, and Kotetsu-kun." The boy was shivering as he answered. Neji looked at Hinata in fright. The academy was nearly underwater at this point. "The wave pushed Hanabi-chan and Kotetsu-kun back. Konohamaru-kun and Mimichi-chan went after them. Iruka-sensei went after them." Neji reached down and grabbed the last of the kids and dove back under water, follwoing Hinata to the school. A genin had arrived to help with the kids.

They went in the side window that Iruka should have used that day. It was completely filled with water. They swam through, the third room they found a bit of air for a break. Hinata funneled some more air into the room and they continued. The school looked so bizarre with everything floating and empty. Even when school wasn't in session there was usually students workingon their skills, teacher preping for class and parents walking around. This was a busy place.

Hinata jerked her thumb towards the stairs and they went up. She assumed they would have looked for higher ground. With the windows holding out the water until they broke the only air would have been upstairs.

Since the first floor was extra tall there was only one other story to the building. They spotted Iruka swimming at the end of the hallway.

000

Yuuki had been at the apex of the wave as it had been created and had nearly crashed into the ground with the rest of the start of the wave. She grabbed the other shinobi who had been with her and surfaced them all. Once on the surface she let go so the current could work on them. Fighting a current was a stupid thing.

"Help those who can't swim!" She shouted at them as they all disapeared. She didn't know if they heard her as they disappeared between buildings. She had found one of the nets that had blown lose and reattached it and helped those around her to air.

"Hold on to something, the next wave is coming!" She was pushed into the market district with that wave. Now she was in the market district helping others out. She had just helped a family of five when a building upstream of them collapsed from the water stress. It hadn't been the first and it wouldn't be the last. The problem was that this building had had people on the balcony.

She was to them in an instant, creating ice under the struggling children. The ice would naturally float to the surface, taking them with it. She spotted Ten Ten with two adults underwater. She sent the last of the children to the surface and went after the adults. Both were injured and caught under rubble. She joined Ten Ten in trying to move the rubble, but it was way too heavy.

Up until this piont, Yuuki hadn't brought out enough of Seiryu's chakra out to notice by the naked eye. She had gills and protected, slited eyes, but that was it. That wasn't going to cut it with these heavy bricks. She brought out more and more of her chakra as she lifted the stones.

Ten Ten pulled her father out of the ruins. Both family members turned to the remaining to help but Yuuki shoved them towards the surface. Ten Ten needed air and her father was injured. Ten Ten eventually got the message and pulled her father to the surface. Letting his wife go was probably the hardest thing he had ever done.

Yuuki was removing the next of the boulders when the woman pointed behind her. She turned in time to catch the sharks teeth on her ribs. It threw her several meters back. She looked up in pain to see the other shark of water circling the injured woman. One went after her, but Yuuki ramed him herself. She looked at Ten ten, who had rejoined them underwater. She motioned for her to get her mother to the surface as she faced the circling sharks.

Yuuki recognized Isonade in an instant. This wasn't good. She transformed entirely into the fourtail. Her hands formed scaled claws, webbed wings grew from her back and long, flexible tails separated from her body. Her fangs lengthed and her breathing increased as she fought the two circling sharks. She dodged as best she could as they came again and again.

Itsuki watched as this child transformed into some sort of creature and saved her life, spilling her own blood in the process. If she wasn't a jinchuuriki, she would be surprised. She grabbed a hold of her daughter as Ten Ten pulled them to the surface. After she hit the surface she whistled back down to the dragon-child. She took off like a shot, two sharks following her, for another part of the village.

000

Neji and Hinata followed Iruka back into the far classroom to find the four missing children standing on desks to stay up. Hinata hugged Hanabi and Konohamaru tightly before turning to Iruka. Just then the entire building creaked.

"That's the second wave. I don't think this building is safe anymore." Neji nodded in agreement with his cousin.

"We can follow our path back out. There should be enough spots for air." Iruka nodded to Neji to lead. Kotetsu and Mimichi went first with Neji and Konohamaru and Hanabi followed with Hinata and Iruka. Konohamaru was injured and needed help. They made it back to the first classroom before they had to take a break.

"Neji will go through first and be there to help the rest of you." Hinata sent Neji on ahead. With the creaking of the building, the doorway had been filled in mostly with rocks. Iruka stayed with Hanabi and Konohamaru while Neji and Hinata got the other two through. Hinata returned while Neji was helping those two to the surface. She and the others were nearly flat against the ceiling for air.

With a deep breath, they all submerged. Hinata went thorugh and accepted Konohamaru next. Iruka saw the doorway start to crumble and shoved Hanabi through. Hanabi felt herself move through the opening as rocks came down. When she found herself safely on the other side, she turned and saw Iruka caught in the doorway under rocks. She sped to him to help when Hinata grabbed her and shot to the surface.

They were all sputtering as they broke the surface. Neji grabbed the two children as Hinata let go and dove back down followed by Anko and Asuma, who had come to help. Shino and Kiba had blown away with the initial wave and had found them. They had all slowly made their way back to the academy. With his Byakugan, Neji had been watching the movements below, and had told them when the doorway had trapped Iruka. He held Hanabi to him as she sputtered hysterically.

"Don't worry, Hanabi-sama. They'll help Iruka-sensei. Shhh, it'll be okay." He rocked her and joined her classmates with Kiba and Akamaru.

Iruka knew he was running low on air when lips forced air into his lungs. He opened his eyes to see Anko in a liplock with him. After giving him all her air, and a wink, she went for the surface for another breath. Asuma was looking at the doorway, frowning. Iruka already knew what he was thinking. The doorway was weak to begin with so any violent motion could bring the entire building down on all of them. But the rocks were too heavy to move with out an explosion.

Hinata could also see what Asuma and Iruka knew. She looked at her sensei. He had taught her, all of them, so much. He had been there on her first day to tell her that she was actually a very good kunoichi. He had stood by Naruto throughout all of his life. He had placed her with Kiba and Shino. He had protected Hanabi when she was gone. He was the only grown-up she felt she could trust with that secret.

If it took trusting him with another secret to save his life, then so be it. She motioned to Asuma to go to the surface and take Anko. The kunoichi had returned to give Iruka's nearly crushed lungs a refill. Asuma gave her an odd look, but after a worried glance at Iruka nodded and shot off the ground. She could hear Anko protesting, but she was no match for Asuma's sheer strength and power.

She looked at Iruka and smiled hesitantly. She wondered distantly if it would ever get easier showing people that she was a Jinchuuriki.

_Mui are you ready?_ The Bijuu had been paying attention and answered affirmative. They were surrounded in water so that would make things easy. Hinata bit a small cut in her thumb to mix some blood with the water.

Iruka didn't know Hinata could possibly be planning, but he gave her an encouraging look when she gave him a hesitant smile. Suddenly a hawk formed around her and rushed him. He felt the hawk push the doorway back into the building and lift the doorway. Hinata's hand wrapped gently around his arm and guided him back out of the building and towards the surface. He looked at her in amazement to meet slitted eyes. He felt the chakra and it hit him like a punch in the stomach. Hinata was a Jinchuuriki, like Naruto.

A million question circled his head, but they would wait, as Asuma and Anko pulled him onto the building and Neji and Shino helped Hinata up. When she opened her eyes next, they were normal again. He was about to thank her when she looked out towards the market ditrict frowning.

"Ni-san, stay with Hanabi-chan please. Finish the evacuation." She dove in the water just as something rammed the building.

000

The two Jinchuuriki sped towards each other. They were going to intersect above the old market that had turned into apartments. Tsunade, who had sensed them moving together had already made her way towards them. She was waiting when they both leaped from the water and landed on a rooftop.

"Report!" Hinata nodded to her.

"Academy has been taken cared of. There is an ice wall staving off the first wave. The second and third wave have both hit. The force behind the first will not abate, it will eventually break through the barrier." Tsunade nodded and, following Hinata's cue, turned to Yuuki. She sighed as she spoke, still looking decidedly more dragon-esk then normal.

"I can feel it cracking, but there is another problem." Hinata nodded, confused.

"The sharks." She had noticed the shark following her and the two folloing Yuuki. Yuuki nodded.

"Its Isonade. She's the power behind this, and one of us is probably her target." Tsunade's eyes widened in alarm. Yuuki nearly bit her tongue, she had forgotten that Tsunade may not yet be aware of Mui. Thankfully, Tsunade focused on a more important part of the sentence.

"We have a bijuu lose in my village?" The two turned to her. Yuuki frowned as Hinata spoke.

"I don't think so. Seiryu thinks she is sealed much as Seiryuu and Youko." Tsunade didn't seem terribly relieved at this. An anbu landed next to her.

"Godiame-sama. The village has relocated to the rooftops and total evacuation is underway." She frowned at the anbu as he left to continue the work, before she turned to the two kunoichi.

"This village could not stand up to another 10 meters of water. That would cover even the mountains." Hinata looked at Yuuki as she returned the glance.

"We could summon the Bijuu in their full form." Yuuki's hesitant voice gave them a clear idea of what she thought of this suggestion. Tsunade was opposed to it as well.

"We don't need the panic a Bijuu appearing would cause." Yuuki shrugged, she had known it was a bad idea, but wasn't sure what else to offer.

"What about the water cycle?" Yuuki looked at Hinata as the Hyuuga Heiress spoke. " We could use the natural water cycle to return the water to where it came from." Tsunade looked at her confused while Yuuki nodded.

"That might work. We would require a wind user, I think." Hinata smiled and gave her a thumbs up, reminding of the other two of her mate.

"Check one wind user." Tsunade looked at Yuuki.

"I don't understand." Yuuki looked at the leader.

"Naturally the water would evaporate, move and then rain back down. we can speed up this process." Tsunade blinked.

"I thought you froze water." She frowned.

"If I can remove heat, I can certainly add it. Hinata will blow the steam up and away before it can create the rain it most surely will."

"What about the shark things?" Yuuki shook her head.

"They are made of water, they should evaporate too." Tsunade pursed her lips in thought. Finally she nodded.

"Alright, but for heaven's sake, try to keep it from looking like a bijuu!" Yuuki nodded and Hinata giggled mentally to herself. Her leader was getting very exasperated with them. Naruto's chuckling inthe back of her mind told her what he thought of that. She smiled as he sent more chakra her way to aid in this endeavor. Tsunade waved to some shinobi and leaped off to join them. Hinata looked at Yuuki as they were left alone to perform this task.

000

Naruto tried really hard to focus on the cooking, but he couldn't drag his thoughts away from Konoha and his mate. He had given his chakra over to Hinata, with Youko and Haruka's blessing. His after dinner lessons had turned into before dinner lessons with cooking with one's chakra. This required heat control, the ability to sense characteristics about the food and multitasking. This was only his third night at it, but he was sure that they would have a hard time convinvcing themselves to eat his cooking again after this. He simply couldn't concentrate.

Kazeko had worked his through molding his charka to a dish to clean it, drying it through heat, puttingit away with a small amount of chakra to cushion it. He had graduated to real dishes instead of the wooden ones eventually. THe first dish he tried to clean, he ended up scrapping hte top layer of wood away with his chakra. Now he was to cook. He rolled his eyes at the lessons he was getting. He hoped his teacher explained how this was supposed to help soon or he might go batty.

000

Neji looked up as he felt the familiar chakra wash over him. He had assisted the children in migrating to the mountains and had hooked up with the Hyuuga clan and some of the Jounin sensei. He could already see his sensei, who had been in the market, hookup with Tsunade and the hospital section. Most of the village had evacuated at this point.

All the shinobi felt the air tingle as the chakra in the center rose to the brink of insanity for a few minutes. They all sighed as it crashed over the village, almost as if the tension of holding it was more devastating and impressive then the sheer amount flowing through the village. He recognized Mui immediately. He could tell by Hiashi's reaction that his uncle also recognized his daughter's companion.

He felt the second Bijuu rise up and together they swirled the water towards them, forming a water funnel of immense proportions. It was quite a sight actually. The tunnel was gushing water at the ground, but near the top it was evaporating into wisps of cloud, blowing back the way the water had come.

He nearly jumped as the rumble of the last wave came to the village with the collapse of the ice wall. The water went right up the tunnel with the rest of the water. He could see a dragon slither around the funnel from bottom to top and if he looked closely, he could also see a hawk. He prayed he was the only one.

000

Asuma headed for his friend as they watched the spectacle. He could sense his goddaughter down their and was worried. The spout had just died down, but he wanted to make sure they weren't endangering Hinata by returning to the village. He knew she had some sort of secret.

"Hiashi?" The man looked like a swift breeze would knock him over, so in shock was he.

"When did I miss this?" He looked at Asuma, completely lost. "I raised her to be a clan leader discreetly, to avoid the manipulations of the council, but when did she actually get this powerful?" Asuma looked out across the village, sighing.

"Well, you remember what Haru-chan used to say." Hiashi looked at Asuma a moment before firming his face. He remembered all right.

Where there is a hope there is a will

WHere there is a will there is a way

and when there is a way, you will find the strength of hope.

* * *

><p>Hi guys. This will probably only have two more chapters. And no Naruto isn't back quite yet. Countdown is moving though, only two monthes story time.<p>

alsp: a repeat of what I said in the beginning, i wrote the flood portion of this well over a year ago, I never dreamed anything like this would happen in Japan. Thankfully none of my friends over there were hurt, but still. I send all my prayers to them still.


	2. Floating

Floating

When floating, one can see the world's reflection, but don't forget to look beneath the surface for life.

The ten year old winced as the door slammed.

He was here.

She knew what was coming. She sighed and wandered over. Today was the day. Today she would ask.

He floated in. Clasping her hands in front of her, she kept her head slightly bowed. She knew he had a job for her. The last mission was a show pf power at some of the further out of the way villages. She had growled to her self at the end of that one. Her element was water. This was not conducive to starting a village wide fire.

She hoped that this show of strength wouldn't be terribly difficult. She had been feeling under the weather.

"Sir?" He looked at her, derision evident. He tossed a piece of paper at her.

"Be done tonight." She bowed her head. he turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.

"Sir?" The Mizukage stopped, but didn't turn. "Sir, I was wondering. Could you please tell me about my parents?" She hadn't asked him before, but no one else knew. He had simply showed up with her in tow when she was three. She didn't remember anything earlier, and no one else knew.

"Excuse me?" His silky voice was a warning but she persisted.

"Who are my parents?" He turned and looked at the girl.

"Do not concern yourself with them. Do your job." She stepped forward, determined of her ten years.

"Please sir, what happened to my parents?" He turned to her, eyes narrowed.

"I believe I told you to not concern yourself. I will not tell you again. Complete your mission." The 'or else' went unsaid. She stuck out her chin in a stubborn gesture.

"Please sir, who are my parents?" He stalked forward a step. His eyes were slits of anger.

"Your parents were weak, pathetic fools. They requested that I raise you instead of them. They didn't survive the war. I took you in as a gesture of faith, but you are becoming troublesome." She bowed her head in shame, but looked up at his next statement. "Tonight, you will find your own apartment. And you had better complete your assignment first." With a swish of his robes he stalked out of the bare room.

She felt a sense of dread as he left. As if she had just signed her ticket to hell.

000

Yuuki gasped as she sprang up in bed. The dream had been even more vivid then usual. It was that memory. The last time she had lived with anyone. The last time _He_ had protected her.

Sakura was standing next to her. She smiled as she placed a hand on the jinchuuriki's shoulder. She caught the flinch as she explained that Yuuki had been out for nearly three days. Yuuki's eyes were wide as Sakura declared her in good health, but exhausted meaning no strain for a few days.

Sakura had turned, frowning when an indignant squawk from the other side of the room drew their attention. Hinata was frowning grumpily, arms crossed over her chest. Apparently she had been given similar instructions with one large exception. She was confined to her bed until tomorrow. Yuuki chuckled at Sakura's exasperated explanation that this is what happened when one moved an ocean of water before one is ready.

Yuuki noticed that the nurse had closed the door before Sakura turned to Hinata in irritation.

"It would have been nice to know I was working with a jinchuuriki, by the way." Her glare was directed at both of them. Hinata had straightened, demanded to know how she could tell? Sakura rolled here eyes. "The sheer amount of chakra you used overwhelmed the seal you had over the bijuu seal that prevented me from picking it up on any medical scans. Don't worry I id't let anyone else run a scan on you." Hinata nodded, looking mollified that the winds had been taken out of her sails. Yuuki's timid question distracted the two friends from their emotional interaction.

"How many know?" Sakura turned to her to snap, what Yuuki wasn't sure, when she saw Yuuki's face. Something must had registered just how terrified Yuuki was at this answer. Yuuki sighed in relief when Sakura told her very few.

"Most of the shinobi were preoccupied, the villagers wouldn't recognize the chakra even if they could sense it, and those who weren't preoccupied were too young to notice. The shinobi used to working with bijuu probably did." Yuuki didn't look much happier with that bit of information. Hinata's words helped little.

"Our friends probably picked it out, as well as our teachers. Any anbu in the area probably picked it out. Sakura and Neji got to us as we lost consciousness and we were spirited away before people could identify who the jinchuuriki were. As far as most of that ones who noticed are concerned, they have another jinchuuriki somewhere in the village." Tsunade grunted in affirmation as she entered the room.

"Agreed, I"ve fended off many question, but your actual identity is still hidden Yuuki." Hinata ducked her head as her Hokage entered. Tsunade didn't know she was also a jinchuuriki yet. Unless Sakura had told her. She hoped not, noting in her mind to have a talk with Sakura about this soon. "Perhaps now would be good to formally introduce yourself to me."

For the last month, since Yuuki had arrived, Tsunade had been completely out of touch with most of her shinobi due to some sort of secret mission with the anbu and jounin. They didn't know, and for the moment were happy not knowing. It meant that she hadn't met Yuuki more than a hi/bye fashion and hadn't met Ino's current project at all. She knew that Ten Ten had been training hard on something and Gai said that Lee was similarly under some heavy duty secret training, speaking mostly with his team and with Sakura. Shikamaru and Chouji were trying to help Ino, but they were reaching a dead end on things. Iruka had been working with Kiba and Shino, and was apparently going with Anko, when the poor girl was actually in the village. Luckily the missions were slowing done. All the chunin were hoping to see their senseis more.

"Forgive the tardiness of this introduction. I am Tsukina Yuuki, Jinchuuriki who carried Seiryuu, the four tailed dragon of the bijuu. I humbly thank you for your hospitality while I wait for Project Nine to commence." Her voice and diction were consistent with someone who had been raised in the politics of village leadership. Tsunade stored that feeling in the back of her mind as she bowed her head.

"On behalf of Konohagakura, I welcome you to our village with pleasure and hope your stay is a wonderful one. Please feel free to impose upon me any concerns or questions you have. Your host, Hyuuga-san, will be happy to make you comfortable." Yuuki nodded her head. Tsunade smiled slightly. "And thank you for your information regarding our favorite blonde goofball." Yuuki smiled slightly at this, exhaustion starting to set in again. Realizing this, Sakura stepped forward.

"Hinata-chan wants to sleep at home in her own bed, so how about you escort her home that way both of you can sleep." Yuuki nodded in agreement. Hinata was already getting up. Yuuki heaved a deep breath, knowing she would feel better once out of the hospital. Nothing against Sakura, but it gave her the shivers. Tsunade nodded to them.

"Sakura, once they are on their way come and find me. I would like to meet these friends of yours with Ino-chan." Sakura nodded as she focused on her patients.

"Neji-kun is here visiting Ten Ten's family, shall I retrieve him?" Hinata shook her head.

"Let him be, I'll stop by Shino's home on the way and ask him to stay until father returns tonight." That was a testament to the change in the family. Sakura couldn't help but make note that before Naruto, Hinata wouldn't have considered her father safe in this sense. In fact, Hinata had no one at home she looked to for safety back then. Neji and Hanabi hated her, the main branch was estranged from the rest of the family, and her father avoiding her when not outright degrading her. Now they shared a comraderie of a family. Sakura shook her head in amazement, thanking god for the changes in her friend's life.

She was about to go find Tsunade when Iruka and Kakashi burst in, asking for help.

000

Naruto could tell that everyone was excited. He had been told that this was an amazing celebration once a month. He had decided only a week after being in this village that the village celebrated everything, when they couldn't find something to celebrate, they celebrated the simplicity of the day. Every morning they awoke, ate breakfast. He and other students went to lessons while the adults had various other tasks before them. Lunch was usually eaten in the middle of whatever they were doing, dishes left til dinner. Then afternoon lessons or hunting or gathering. Dinner included cooking eating and cleaning mostly, all chakra exercises. Then they had a few hours of whatever was planned before the campfires were lit. Then the fires were lit and the celebrating would begin. There were songs, dances, music, stories, games, all sort things at different fires, depending on the night.

Once a month the village gathered around a campfire for celebrating love. Not family love, but the love and devotion between someone and their mate. They remembered the lovers not present and kissed the ones that were. He was actually told that a large portion of the village was probably concieved on one of these nights. He had blushed and told his cousin that he hadn't needed to know that.

Haruka was opening the singing tonight. She was supposed to do it last month but he and Haruka had been involved in a training exercise that had knocked them out for two days, missing the celebration completely. His cousin had described the night to him so he was looking forward to seeing it for himself. He had met most of his family now. His mother had been one of two girls and had been close to her six cousin and their kids. Kushina's brother had passed a year earlier, but his sons were really great. They all had pulled some great pranks.

He swallowed his lunch and waved to Takamaru as he flew by as he heard Shingo trying to sneak up on him for weapons training again.

000

Yuuki sighed as she waited for Hinata to finish talking with Shino's mother. They were picking up Shino, who wasn't at the academy today. Classes had continued with a twist. The student were learning the shinobi skills required to fix a building. Mui had held the building up long enough to retrieve Iruka uninjured, but the turbulance later caused the building to collapse. Since more then a quarter of the village needing rebuilding, there were no workers available for the academy. The gate on that side of the village had been completely destroyed and those neighborhoods had gotten hit the hardest. They had managed to save most of the villagers, but there were many missing or injured and they had already confirmed the death of a few. A few stragglers who had gotten swept away and survived were wandering back. For a village of about 30,000 that was better then expected.

She thought back to her dream this morning. It had been a while since she recalled that day, the day that everything had changed. That mission had indeed been awful. She had to assasinate every person in a building at midnight. This wasn't the first assasination, though most of them had been a specific person. This must be a meeting of some sort of group. She didn't know, but she would follow her orders. She had to follow Mizukage's orders.

She hadn't. She had killed the first person she had found upon entering the house. He was a farmer she thought. She heard three people hiding in the other room and went to finish the job and get home to grovel. Opening the door, she had froze. There were three people all right. A woman and two children, barely 4 or 5 years old. The children were slightly tearing but the woman, who was shielding them as best she could, looked at Yuuki in tears. Angry tears.

Yuuki could remember the rage, the condemnation in the woman's voice. She fairly spat at the young girl. Yuuki remembered what she called her. Pathetic demon. The woman just stared at her with her hard eyes, holding her children behind her. The little boy wrestled to get out of her grip, but was held tight. Yuuki had looked at them in silence. As if debating how to end their life, but in actuallity, there was little running through her head.

She had been sent to kill children. She had noticed that this was a home, not a business and there was no other people in the building. She had performed many tasks for the Mizukage, most she wasn't proud of, but she had yet to stain her hands with the blood of children. She had watched parents with their kids, wondering if her parents had been similar. She would probably never know after Mizukage's response to her inquiry earlier. She had avoided children in her violence.

Just looking at them, her mind had froze. She couldn't afford to fail in her mission. The woman finally stopped and looked at the young girl who had killed her husband. Yuuki hadn't known what to do. When the woman asked what she was waiting for, she truly couldn't answer, because she herself didn't know. When the woman asked if she was alright, she tightened her grip on her knife, on the only constant in her life she depended on. The woman reached forward to take the knife, but Yuuki had stepped back, almost as if afraid what giving the knife to the woman would mean. In hindsight, Yuuki wondered if the woman would have killed her once she had gotten the knife. The boy had broke free of his mother and approached the frozen Yuuki.

_Girl alright?_

That question, with simple curiosity, had never been asked of Yuuki before. The woman eyes her and shuffled forward, daughter off to one sde, behind her. She started speaking about her children. Their names, their likes and dislikes. She was edging closer to the terrified youth. Yuuki had aften wondered later, if the woman had known she wasn't going to survive that evening. She was asking now if anyone had taken care of Yuuki. If she was alone, if she wanted a family. Yuuki had desparately wanted to scream yes, to grasp the woman's hand in hope, anything to leave the current life behind. She had actually reached out to the woman's hand when an arrow sprouted her chest. Yuuki had watched in stunned horror as she fell forward in slow motion.

Her children had rushed to her. She managed to look at her children and spoke of her love and their bravery. Yuuki hadn't been able to turn away, hearing words she had internally begged all the gods listening to hear from someone's lips to her. She turned to the window and saw and tail of the cloak of another assassin. She recognized him. She looked back at the family, dropping her knives in the process. The woman reached for her. She passed many things with that look, or Yuuki liked to think she had correctly understood the look. Requests to take care of her children, apologies for harsh words, sad acceptance of her fate. She only spoke one word as her hand fell and she died.

_Aoi-chan_

000

Iruka was walking through downtown gingerly. Sakura had told him he could leave the hospital, just no acrobatics. He was quite thankful for that. First of all, to get out of Sakura-chan's hair. The hospital had more overflow than it knew what to do with and Sakura and Ino were being run ragged. Miketsu, who was helping out as a nurse, had sat with him for a while talking about what little she knew about her sons. Iruka had had several pairs of brothers, but couldn't think of any lacking a mother and hadn't been a teacher as far back as she was talking. Still, it was nice to talk to her before he was given an okay to scat.

He had a plan he had been toying with for the last few days as he healed. He was lucky his ribs weren't broken, just cracked. He hadn't talked to Hinata about that rescue yet, but he planned to do that after she recovered from her exhaustion. At the moment he had another target.

He spotted his goal off to one side. He knew she was off by now and was probably relaxing a bit. He took a deep breath. Over the last two years Anko had pursued him on and off and he was starting to wonder what he thought of her. A few monthes ago she had gotten really busy and still stopped by every week or so and teased him. Her intentions had been light. At first he thought it was just the teasing she gave others. Kakashi had a similar method of screening those he interacted with, how they tolerated this behavior dictated how trustworthy the person was. Anko was a very teasing person when she liked or frequently dealt with the same person. He realized how much she might like him when he realized she was going out of her way to tease him.

The kiss here and brush there had turned into brief lunch meet or a walk home from work, she would ambush him as he exited the building. He had been hesitantly returning her advances in his own way, but last week she had been on a mission with Asuma and had come back different, like the world was on her shoulders more. Her face when she dived in the water to save him was desparate and he had been surprised to feel his heart contract at the pain his danger was causing her.

He closed his eyes and channeled the shinobi skills he usually didn't use. He had stretched them when he had Naruto to keep up witht he prankster, but with Naruto gone and Konohamaru and Hanabi distracted by her family problems until recently, he hadn't used them as much. He still remembered the proud look Sandaime held when he refused to become an official jounin, and wouldn't even consider training for an anbu. Sandiame had given him situation Jounin status, but he never used it. A teacher didn't need to, chunin was enough. He didn't think he was anything special, but apparently this was a much debated idea.

She was looking at dango at a stand and debating aloud if she should go dango or ramen. Quietly, he came up behind her and let his chin hover over one of her shoulders and answer her last question.

"Would ramen be more appealing with company?" She whirled to look at him. Her breath caught in her throat. He was here. She had had a crush on Iruka for freakin ever, but Naruto threw a glare at anyone who came within a foot of his sensei. She had patiently waited until he was out of town to test the waters. She had learned that Kakashi had teased Iruka in a similar method, so she had simply started teasing him. Over the last two years that had been enough, but a few monthes ago, when watching Hinata talk about Naruto and watching Iruka with his student, she had started to care more.

The clueless man didn't seem to catch on, but that was okay. it wasn't like she had much to give someone like Iruka. Her job was rediculously dangerous and busy. Her past was full of a big mistake she couldn't live down. To her shame, she hadn't found a way to repent or even save others from its effects.

Than she started hanging more with this bronze man. His easy carefree smile was genuine and his laugh was full. He gripped his life with two hands and wrangled all that he could out of his day. He had protested, blushed and scolded, but he had never told her to go away. Then, on a mission and bit ago she was reminded of the mistake she was still living with. It came back to bite her and she had felt its iron grip on her happiness weaken her determined grip on despair.

Then she saw him. He had been walking to school when they had bumped into each other. She had smiled and nodded in his direction,a brief hello, and then continued on her way. Two steps later she stopped. The panic had edged when he looked at her. The grip of terror had softened when he returned the greeting. She looked at his retreating back, walking slower then it had when they had come upon each other, as if in thought, or waiting for someone. Her teasing hug collided with the gentle man a few moments later ans she felt her soul spread its wings. The reminder was still there, but with him on her side, she felt capable, determined to win.

Here he was, in the middle of the street after she got off work. She could see the bronze laugh lines that made up his young face. He was shy her age only by a few years, being born between large generations for the shinobi of the village, he was one of the few in his class still around. Yet he laughed enough to have laugh lines. His eyes tilted down towards hers as he awaited the answer to his question. It took her a moment to remember said question.

Her seductive smirk spread across her face as Iruka heard her sassy reply that company definitely made ramen the better choice. Inside he was estatic. She pulled him along towards Ichiraku's and she talked about the part of the village she had help rebuild that morning. They laughed as they walked. He couldn't get over how much her face changed when she laughed. It was as if there was a candle on her chin and it was lit as the laugh started, illuminating all the beauty and strength in the face.

They talked their way through a ramen each. Naruto was a favorite topic at this particular lunch. Iruka got the feeling Anko was trying to feel out Naruto, and his relationship with the other shinobi. Iruka was raising to walk her home, or wherever she was heading when it happened.

Anko loved the gentle way her held her hand and pulled out the chair to escort her back to her home. She already knew he trusted her as a fellow shinobi, but to do that and treat her like a woman was unusual. In fact, Ten Ten had already come to her in the last month to talk about this problem. She was just broaching the topic of meeting later that night by the river when her psat mistake came a calling.

She felt the white hot pain erupt from her neck where that bastard had bit her. She knew she didn't scream, but even with her experience she couldn't keep herself from moaning and nearly collapsing. Strong hands kept her upright, but they couldn't sooth away this pain. Whatever Orochimaru was doing, it was sure as hell not good for her.

000

Sakura rushed forward and grabbed Anko as the kunoichi nearly fell into the hospital even with Iruka's help. They had found Kakashi outside trying to figure out what to do with his free few hours. He decided to help them, much to their combined relief. Iruka's ribs were not quite up to carrying a person yet and both he and Anko knew that.

They had barely made it to a room before Anko gave up on holding off screams and they echoed in the room. Tsunade was there in moments, seeing the problem and out again. She knew Kakashi could perform decent release seals, but seals were not his thing. They were Hiashi's however, and she knew the Hyuuga was visiting his nephew and Ten Ten's family. Sakura had put Anko in the room that had been reserved for Naruto and Sasuke not too long ago, it still contained some useful remanents, such as items to deal with a cursed seal from Orochimaru.

Hiashi came in, already preparing himself for a seal. He was familar with the cursed seal, but he had never sealed it personally. He hurried over to Anko, ignoring Kakashi, Sakura and Tsunade. Iruka was hovering on the side, Kakashi holding him back some to give Hiashi some room. Anko had disolved into hissing through her clenched teeth. Hiashi ripped the shirt off the shoulder, bareing the mark to him. The black flaps were already starting to zigzagging across her skin. Hiashi was already setting up a seal, but he was frowning in frustration.

"Anko, you need to pull the chakra back in." She wasn't listening. She probably couldn't even hear him over her pain. She finally brushed Hiashi away, flailing in an effort to expend the adrenaline borne from pain. Neji, who had followed his uncle, pulled Hiashi back before she decked him. Kakashi leaped forward to grab her, but couldn't get close either. Her chakra was humming. Sakura recognized this. She had watched Sasuke go through this. This is what would have happened if Sasuke had fought the mark. She closed her eyes in fear, unable to do anything as she watched the anguish, mentally overlaying another person with a cursed seal. She just couldn't move.

Iruka had a different reaction. While Hiashi had been working he had been frozen, not even fighting Kakashi's hold. He didn't know what was happening, what he could do. He jumped when Hiashi ripped her shirt and he saw the seal. he didn't know what it was. Then Anko had gone crazy. In some part of his mind that belonged to the shinobi heard Hiashi's statement. When she blew Kakashi back, he snapped out of it. Dodging her fist and pushing hard against her chakra, using skills he had deveolped to help scared or injured students, he grabbed her fists, trapping her in his arms.

Her eyes were drawn to the eyes of the person holding her. They met his concerned browned eyes and as if magnetic, couldn't pulled them away. The pain, making her eyes water, seemed to take a back seat as she drew on his strength. Neither were aware as Hiashi continued his efforts to seal the seal. Iruka felt her chakra scrape around him, harsh in its frenzy.

"You need to draw your chakra in." His low baritone caressed her, soothing her stressed thought processes, focusing her energies. She gritted her teeth as she pulled on her chakra, controlling the curse, locking away behind her shields, letting Hiashi seal the remanent of Orochimaru away. His soft voice urged her to be strong and keep going. She grasped him in need, depending on him for an anchor in reality. He answered her need with firm belief in her ability.

Hiashi stepped back as he finished the temporary seal. It wouldn't hold forever, but it would do until they could seal it overall. He stumbled back, letting Kakashi hold him up. A gentle hand on his back he grasped Kakashi's other hand in his, using his friend's strength to make it to the bed. Even upon releasing his hand he was grateful that the hand onhis back stayed put for a bit longer. His tired eyes sought his nephew at the doorway with Sakura and Ino.

The mednin looked pale, not even responding to her best friend as they tried to convince her to sit. Her tearfilled eyes were staring at Anko. He knew she felt strongly for her patients, but he felt that somehow this was something else. Ino and another young woman, Datsuko he thought was her name, were trying to sit her down. Neji was hovering off to one side, unsure what to do, looking between his colleages and his uncle. Hiashi felt for him.

Neji wasn't sure what to do alright. He was slightly stunned. His uncle had just exhibited a powerful seal. He rarely saw his uncle perform any shinobi art outside of the family martial arts. He knew of the seal he performed, though he didn't recognize the seal on Anko. He had found out recently to his surprise that his uncle was a jounin, but it really shouldn't have. His uncle was powerful inside the clan, he didn't simply lose that when he left the clan walls. He simply worked more politics these days.

After realizing that he couldn't help Ino with Sakura, he stepped forward to help Miketsu, who had followed Ino and Datsuko, with Iruka and Anko. Anko had clamed down at this point and was leaning her forehead on Iruka's shoulder. The sensei looked like he wasn't sure whether to be terrified or to be relieved. Neji thought eh would've gone with relieved.

Hiashi watched as Neji joined Tsunade in coaxing the young couple to sit. His eyes strayed to the two un-known newcomers. The young woman by Ino, he had run into briefly but the woman, whose back was to him, he had yet to meet. Or rather, as he found out at she turned, he had yet to re-meet.

"Mikoto?" Kakashi's word drew people's attention as both jounin looked at the woman in amazement. It certainly looked like her, but Mikoto was dead. Hiashi winced as he pulled himself up as Kakashi approached the woman. He wished Gai was present. The hyper jounin was the best support Kakashi had ever had. The woman finally met his eyes as he repeated the dead woman's name. She squinted in confusion, before her eyes widened in realization. She rush Kakashi with a sense of desperate urgency.

"You know me? What about my sons? Do you know who they are?" She was grasping his shoulders, trying to unsuccessfully shake him with each question. Kakashi's brain sounded slightly derailed as he responded.

"S-s-sons?" She shook him again.

"I have two sons. I can picture them. They are mine! Who are they? Where are they? Please! Please tell me!" Her pleading was disolving into tearful begging as she hung from Kakashi's shoulders. Neji and Datsuko came forward with gentle hands, but she ignored them. Neji finally turned to Kakashi.

"You know who she is?" He was hopeful. Ino and Sakura had been working with this woman for a while and since she had found out she had children yesterday, she had grown even more desperate.

Kakashi turned away from the woman. Hiashi moved to walk to him, but he simply walked to the bedside drawer. Hiashi remembered, this had been Sasuke's room. Kakashi reached inside the drawer and withdrew a picture of Sasuke when he was no older that six. sasuke and his family before the massacre.

He handed the picture to the wooman silently. She looked at him in confusion before looking down at the picture. Her fingers caressed the boys, a few years older then the single memory Ino had teased forward. She was crying as she looked at the picture.

"My boys. These are my boys. This is me. Where are they? Please, where are my sons?" She looked back at Kakashi. His mask had returned as he stared at the woman dispassionately. Hiashi recognized this as his shield for the grief he was feeling. He turned to Tsunade, who had missed this particular family getting married and being born, so didn't recognize the name.

"This is Uchiha Mikoto, mother of Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke."

000

Naruto was meditating. he had been doing that for a while. It had changed form a simple relaxation time to a practice in concentration when first Sakura's then Neji's mind did a disturbing tilt. he had been soothing Sakura was he listened to her inner dialogue about the pain sasuke could have felt. He had been aware after the fact of the pain and prescence of the curse seal when he fought Sasuke, but he hadn't ever wanted to entertain the vision of what it could do to him.

Sakura, the one in the group to feel things more deeply, felt this pain for him now and it was overwhelming her. Only saskue's name had brought her out of it. Naruto felt his own insides freeze at the pronouncement that Sasuke's mother was alive. What it would have meant to the boy was undescribable. And yet, if Kakashi was to be believed, here the woman was, dead nearly ten years, back from the dead. This was testing his ability with his bonds.

Over the past weeks, he had had regular contact with Hinata, pleased Yuuki had arrived safely and enjoyed watching as the Heiress got the best of her clan's council one by one. Neji, he hadn't "spoken" to as often, but he had contacted him here and there. He could feel a lingering anger in Neji that he couldn't identify and hadn't asked about yet. It scared him. He remembered the Neji he had fought in the tournament, it wasn't a pretty memory.

000

Tsunade let out a whoosh of breath as she sat in her chair. She really should have gotten to Ino and Sakura earlier. Miketsu was really Mikoto. Dotsuko was Namikaze Nijikou's daughter. The girl had been pregnant and noone had known. The Namikaze had been massacred when Naruto was two, four years before the Uchiha massacre. But if Mikoto had survived somehow then Nijikou's daughter could have as well. Of course, she hadn't known that the girl had had a daughter.

She turned her attention to the two standing in front of her. Kiryu Moto and Kiryu Hiru were visiting from Suna to discuss the relations between the villages.

000

Hinata listened with fascination as Neji explained who Miketsu was. Apparently, Miketsu was Mikoto, Sasuke's mother, whom everyone thought had died in te massacre ten years earlier. And Datsuko was part of the Namikaze clan, whom Hinata knew had been massacred four years before that. The Hyuuga clan was the only of the strong three clans left in Konoha. She shook her head in amazement as Neji told her that with Sakura fainting at Kakashi's pronouncement, they had postponed any further discussion until the following day. What a mess.

Hinata looked out the window as she thought.

"Itoko, there is also something wrong with Yuuki." She had slept most of the afternoon after picking up Shino, but the little time she had spent awake and with Yuuki she had noticed the girl showing an extreme look of longing at odd times. The quiet was more intorspective than relaxed and Hinata couldn't place why. She gently petted Hoshi as she explained this to her cousin.

Her relationship with her cousin was one of the most important part of her life right now. he held to together with Naruto gone and her father preoccupied. before he had been council, but now he was becoming a much needed confidant in a way that Naruto or her father would probably never be. She didn't know how she could ever repay the trust and responsibility he was shouldering for her.

She smield as he wished her a pleasant sleep before leaving to track down Hanabi and make sure the little rascal and her friends were getting to sleep. She had invited Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon over for a few days. She claimed it was for fun, Hinata believed she meant mischeif, but had agreed to take the weight off of Iruka. Still the four little beasts needed there sleep. She smiled as she lay back and reached out to Naruto.

000

Kakashi stood sadly on his perch on the Yondiame's head petting his cat, not surprised when Gai appeared behind him.

"Hiashi sent you?" Gai smiled as he shook his head.

"My youthful student passed along the story." He sat, feet dangling off the edge. "You okay?" He rarely asked that of the guarded anbu turned jounin. Kakashi shielded himself by pretending to not have emotions. One doesn't ask someone who has no emotions if they're okay. The fact that he had brought Tsume out of the house, that the cat had let him, was significant.

"She didn't remember." Gai didn't respond, knowing he would continue easiest without input. "Itachi idolized her. I could never believe that he killed his mother any more then I can believe he'll fight his brother to Sasuke's death. Here is another memory of Itachi before he left." _Another memory of Sasuke and my failure_ went unsaid. Gai nodded.

"Also, her companion was a Namikaze was she not? Niji-chan was-" Kakashi turned to him.

"I know!" He turned away, fists clenched in grief. "I know" Gai reguarded him as he tried to calm down. He knew the thought, or rather the person Kakashi was thinking of to do so.

"I miss her." Kakashi let his hands relax at the memory of his lover. He looked across the village in despair.

"I can't miss her. That would prove she was gone."

000

Naruto stood near his aunt as the campfire roared and they waited. It was a beautiful night, stars and moon shining brightly over the group. She stepped forward on the platform to speak to them.

"You have asked me to speak here tonight of love. Tonight we honor our feelings towards the ones whom we bind our destiny. Whether they are near or far, alive or dead, happy or sad we give our love and our future and our past to them. I'll start out the night with a small song for lovers far away. As many of you know, mine is quite far away tonight. I wish to give him strength.

"_I see the moon_  
><em>And the moon sees me<em>  
><em>The moon see the one<em>  
><em>I want to see<em>  
><em>So God bless the Moon<em>  
><em>And God bless me<em>  
><em>Please God bless the one that I want to see<em>

Naruto closed his eyes, letting Hinata in, letting her share this. He loved her. He didn't know how he knew or when, but he loved her. He could feel the chakra of the others similarily flowing out, as if seeking their own love.

"_I see the stars shining above_  
><em>They see the one that I love<em>  
><em>Shine for love<em>  
><em>And shine for me<em>  
><em>Please shine for the one that I want to see<em>

Naruto opening his eyes to see several couple holding each other close. All the children had been sent to bed earlier. There were several who were holding some trinket close, crying silently as they raised their eyes to the heavens, as Haruka was doing, emotionally calling for their mate to return to them for even one brief moment.

"_So I see the moon_  
><em>And the moon sees me<em>  
><em>The moon sees the one<em>  
><em>That I want to see<em>  
><em>So God bless the moon<em>  
><em>For them and me<em>  
><em>And God bless the love I hold for thee<em>

There was a gentle silence. The crackle of the fire puttered against the trees and the wind. Naruto felt his connection wth Hinata all the stronger as he held his aunts hand and she let her tears fall.

"I love my mate." This phrase seemed to be that key for everyone as people began to say or whisper the name of the one they were thinking of. He heard Haruka whisper a name as she pulled him closer. He looked at the fire and sent all his feeling to his mate.

"_Hina-chan_"

Haruka smiled waterly at her nephew before releasing him and standing forward again.

"As is tradition we start with a slow song and a faster song. Before turning the floor over to the romantic singers for the night. My second song is for all you lovers that thought it as impossible." Naruto looked at her in interest as he took his place to dance without his mate.

At the campfires where there as dancing, you could dance with your mate or without, but they were signicantly different dances. The singer reproduced many different sounds that had Naruto dancing freely, wishing his mate was present. He could feel her exhaustion from here so he said she could listen to one more, but then he would let her sleep.

(Still the One by Shania Twain)

_"When I first saw you, I saw love._  
><em>And the first time you touched me, I felt love.<em>  
><em>And after all this time, you're still the one I love.<em>

Naruto smiled as he brought his birthday to mind. He still didn't know how she had managed it. He had actually felt her there with him.

Haruka liked this song. Her father had been against her mate from the get go. Not that it had been an amazingly romantic start.

_"Looks like we made it_  
><em>Look how far we've come my baby<em>  
><em>We mighta took the long way<em>  
><em>We knew we'd get there someday<em>

-Flashback-  
>Haruka jumped and dodged as the new genin of her brother's tried to capture them. This was supposed to be an exercise in teamwork, but she didn't think the genin were getting it.<p>

"Youkai No Ami Osaete!" nope not getting it. She dodged the net the silver haired genin had tossed her way. To be fair they were only a few years younger then her, but she felt as if she had never been this reckless. She dodged another of the strange net. She had never heard of it before, but her brother had said that this boy invented many of his own jutsu. The fourth one finally connected.

She screamed as her chakra bit into her muscles, rejecting all the chakra Byaka had been merging with her since birth. She was still twitching as they release the jutsu.

_"They said, 'I bet they'll never make it'_  
><em>But just look at us holding on<em>  
><em>We're still together still going strong<em>

The next time they met was the day he lost his best friend, if you could call him that. The Uchiha had given the boy a great gift and lost his life in the same day and it was Haruka's job to get him home. His silence bothered her. They hadn't talked at all in the last year and a half as he shot through the ranks to jounin. He was sitting up in his hospital bed after the mission, staring out the window. She almost didn't think he was going to talk, but he proved her wrong.

"Youkai No Ami Osaete" She froze. He had invented that awful technique and someone had found out. It had been repeated and now it was known in the underworld as a way to capture and torture a jinchuuriki. She was set to exit the room as he spoke. Her back was to him so she didn't see his expression, or if he was even looking at her instead of his previous focus.

"I apologize" She turned now to meet his nearly dead eyes. She had heard those words before, but never had they been meant from such a painful event. She didn't known what to day.

_"(You're still the one)_  
><em>You're still the one I run to<em>  
><em>The one that I belong to<em>  
><em>You're the one I want for life<em>  
><em>(You're still the one)<em>  
><em>You're still the one that I love<em>  
><em>The only one I dream of<em>  
><em>You're still the one I kiss good night<em>

She landed on the Sandiame's head only to put her shields up when she spotted a figure already on the cliff. It was the silver-haired jounin that she had been working with. He was gorgeous, and out of her league. He was also hurting. She approached and sat next to him. He looked at her, she as surprised to find his new eye crying. She reached out to him.

Probaby for the first time in either of their lives he reached back.

_"Ain't nothin' better_  
><em>We beat the odds together<em>  
><em>I'm glad we didn't listen<em>  
><em>Look at what we would be missin'<em>

They were coing home from the mission, filled with adrenaline of a successful mission. She was riding the feeling before she found everyone else had gone ahead. Everyone except the most interesting specimen of male known to that jinchuuriki. She shreaked in laughter as he tackled her into the lake beneath them. They trusted their teammates to turn in their report.

_"(You're still the one)_  
><em>You're still the one I run to<em>  
><em>The one that I belong to<em>  
><em>You're the one I want for life<em>  
><em>(You're still the one)<em>  
><em>You're still the one that I love<em>  
><em>The only one I dream of<em>  
><em>You're still the one I kiss good night<em>

_"They said, 'I bet they'll never make it'_  
><em>But just look at us holding on<em>  
><em>We're still together still going strong<em>

Her nephew was going to be born soon. She sat on the side of the lake, her lover stretched out next to her, both simply enjoying the stars.

"Kushina is looking forward to having a son." Kakashi sat up smiling gently at her excitment. An expression he only showed two people. He nuzzled her under her ear.

"Shall we make one?" Haruka looked at him in surprise. He knew the chance of convincing her father was minimal. He was asking anyway.

She leaped at him in joy.

-end flashback-

_"(You're still the one)_  
><em>You're still the one I run to<em>  
><em>The one that I belong to<em>  
><em>You're the one I want for life<em>  
><em>(You're still the one)<em>  
><em>You're still the one that I love<em>  
><em>The only one I dream of<em>  
><em>You're still the one I kiss good night<em>

Haruka smiled at Naruto as he communed with his mate. She wished she could do that right now. She could imagine his face, his hair, his presence. Gods, she missed her mate.

_I'm so glad we made it_  
><em>Look how far we've come my baby<em>

Haruka looked at the sky as she walked out of the campfire circle as the normal band picked up romantic songs for the young. She looked up in the sky as she sat with her drink on the side of the cliff.

Ever has it been that  
>Love knows not its own depth<br>Until the hour of Separation  
>Nor its own Height<br>'til the hour of reunion

* * *

><p>Here it is. Kakashi's cat is mentioned in found family, he doesn't know Haruka is back. No one in the village who knew her back then knows for sure. Also the person who attacked the village last chapter was Isonade, the third tailed bijuu. They are listed and discussed in length in 'Trust is earned not given away'<p>

One more chapter in this story i think. it'll be a bit cuz I'm moving and i won't have internet for a while. If there are any characters you want to hear more about please please let me know. I brought some of the lesser seen characters forward here with Iruka and Anko. Oh and what do you guys think of Mikoto? let me know


	3. Splashing

Splashing

Yuuki looked over the schematic that the engineer had brought her. They had been working with her for over a month on refitting the organization of the piping in the village, but with the drainage problem left behind from this last catastrophe, it had blown out nearly all plumbing meant for drainage, and a good deal of that not so. They had been rebuilding, taking more and more of her earlier suggestions into account. It was interesting to see her instinctive knowledge of water and flow turned into practicality by these plumbers. Her education on plumbing was rudimentary at best, but with her explanation of several key points about water, they had taken their earlier ideas and expanded to include her understanding and seemed to be developing a very efficient system for the village. They were presenting her with some of their final designs, before beginning in earnest in the construction. When she felt better, she would be accompanying them to the sites themselves.

Today they were going to discuss corners. It was a fairly new idea, but they seemed to be taking the idea of round piped corners in stride. She looked at their faces as they discussed construction and use of the new theory. They were mostly family men, a couple younger men just learning the trade. Only two other shinobi were present for this particular event and one was only there to report to Godiame the end result of their discussions. She had gotten to know each of them to some extent over the last little bit, tentative relationships that had not budged an inch when they figured that she had been a great power in protecting their village. They were neither in awe nor terrified of her, to her endless relief. Her dream still had her fiercely in its grip. She would have to check up on that as soon as the situation allowed.

A hand on her head brought her back to the present abruptly and it tousled her hair. Startled, she turned to the man on her right. She had, of course, seen this action performed by various parents over the years, and even some aunts and uncles, but she had never been on the receiving end. The man, one of the elder of the group, gave her a bright smile.

"You okay?" She looked at him, amazed. She then realized that the conversation had stopped all around her. She blushed and shrunk down in her seat, trying to hide from embarrassment. This caused a rumble of chuckles at the table. "You were spacing out."

"My apologies, please lets continue." The man's eyes softened slightly as he roughed up her hair one more time before continuing with his questions. He didn't remove his hand and she smiled slightly to herself, happy that someone was this comfortable around her. Happy she could experience this feeling.

000

Tsunade sighed as she looked out over the village. She had three blasts from the past working with her student and said students best friend, a crazy blonde jinchuuriki returning in just a few monthes in who knows what condition, his friends, protective friends, scattered throughout the village, an insane previous-teammate doing something that caused one of her anbu to scream in pain, pain that she couldn't do anything about, and now she had visitors from Suna, one of their closer allies. Especially since Gaara had taken over, she had seen the friendship between those siblings and her shinobi, an advantage she intended to encourage, grow. These visitors had brought word of establishing an ambassador of Konoha in Suna. She said a shinobi, maybe a chunin. Tsunade had handed her off to Shikamaru to show around. Set aside his intelligence and usefulness as a spy, he had a personal reason for staying in touch with happenings in Suna. This was a busy time.

Her student and Ino were taking today off on her order. Learning that Miketsu was Uchiha Mikoto was a big blow to everyone who had known either Sasuke or Itachi, but Sakura had taken it hard. Tsunade had seen her trying to stay strong, had helped in her own way by giving the girl something to focus on, but with this news, she had just crumbled. Not that she was the only one of concern. If the young girl with them was the daughter of Namikaze, Nijikou, as the old woman had said, she might be one of the only surviving members of the Namikaze clan. A clan, whose murders had never been solved. Tsunade didn't like it at all. She was going through the paperwork from that era to see if she could find what had happened to Mikoto. Someone was buried in that grave and it wasn't the woman herself.

Speaking of mysteries, she still had no idea what state she would find her favorite blonde whirlwind when he returned. She hadn't been able to get an identity out of Hawk when she talked to him, following Neko's suggestion and she was at a loss. She had, however, figured out that Jiraiya was NOT training Naruto anymore, and if he trusted the brat's learning to this kunoichi, than she would too. His return was going to be something for everyone to write home about. Especially when he saw the company a certain chunin was keeping these days. If there was a word that described Naruto's reaction to anything about his former sensei, it was overprotective. She hoped Iruka had planned to let Narutp in on the news slowly, and preferably away from innocent bystanders.

Naruto's classmates were also starting to show signs of extreme over-protectiveness towards their jinchuuriki friend. Hinata, especially, seemed to have shortened her temper considerably when it came to the blonde, present to be hurt or otherwise. Likewise the rest of the group seemed to be forming a tight-knit cohesive structure that would soon be a formidable force to be reckoned with. They were bonding in a way that she never really did with her teammates. True, one was crazy and one was luny, but still. At the same time she knew that they had never opened up, to each other or their teachers, the same way as this group. Orochi-baka was too intellectually curious, or obsessed as she would later term it, and Jiraiya was too...

She stopped. What did she think of her teammate? She stopped that thoughts, saving it for another, less stress-filled time. Right now she had other concerns, namely the group from Suna. The siblings were only going to stay a few days. When last she had seen the group, Moto had mentioned seeing the training grounds and Hiru wanted to look into the clan situation here. Shikamaru was killing two birds with one stone as Team Gai was supposed to be training today. Neji should be able to answer any question the newcomers had about clans as well as give a show of strength.

000

The Hyuuga male, unaware of his leaders thoughts, was indeed training. Or at least, Lee supposed it could be considered training. Ten Ten had been focused on her scrolls and asked to be left alone to train on them a little bit longer yet. Neji had shrugged and gone off before Lee could even say anything. Ten Ten's confused look was still in his mind's eye when Lee caught up to Neji, practicing what was probably the most brutal form his family had ever developed. Lee just sighed as he plopped himself on the branch he had landed on. It seemed his team was having some drama of its own.

He glanced up when his sensei landed on the nearby branch with a sound or rustle.

"Yo" His hushed greeting told Lee his sensei was very aware of the mindset of the scene below and felt the need to leave Neji be as well. Lee's smile returned his as blindingly as ever despite the quiet response.

"Gai-sensei, I am observing the youth of my teammate." Gai returned his thumbs up with his own smile before looking down at the chunin below. He agreed with his student's interpretation of Neji's emotional standing. The boy seemed inordinately upset with something. He had seen it building for the last little bit, as he knew Lee had. Neji's moods had always been a tricky thing to guard against. He used to turn angry then cold at the least little thing, having a superiority complex combined with a frustration from the pits of hell had made for a rocky start to the team. After the first chunin exams he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion and after he reconciled with Hinata he seemed to steady down, even so far as to admit, at least in private, of his attraction to their third. Over the last little bit they had started seeing that old frustration return. It worried Gai. Especially since it was a reflection of the unease that was becoming prevalent in many in the village.

Although Gai couldn't point to one distinct source, most of the village seemed charged, as if on the brink of excitement or worry. Kakashi had been reverting to his reclusive personality from before Naruto, and even the purr of his cat, whom was still a mystery to everyone, didn't seem to settle him, though Tsume did make it better then it could have been. She had been going on several of the mission, discreetly, and he had even seen her sleeping in with the Ninken he summoned. Then there was Hiashi and his current worries related to his clan. Something that Gai kept a closer eye on now that he had a student directly embroiled in the intrigue. Asuma and Gai had been sticking close to Hiashi and Kakashi, respectively, in order to help them out, but there was little they could do. In addition, Asuma and Kurenai were becoming very serious and now Gai had his own team drama to muddle though.

But the unease didn't seem to only be in the family. There leader seemed preoccupied. Something had happened the previous day that had upset her, Kakashi and Sakura. Hiashi had asked to meet with him today to discuss it. He had even seen Ibiki stare into space forlornly. Now there was a Shinobi who shouldn't look forlorn. He was the very definition of focus, usually, and yet even he seemed infected with this nameless tension in the village. Not, he thought wryly to himself, that the flood they had had a few days ago had helped matters.

Lee gave his sensei a thumbs up and moved closer. Neji's form had shifted worse and it appeared he needed an outlet for his irritation. Gai approved of Lee's choice and wished his students luck.

Lee used that luck as he leaped lightly in front of the enraged Hyuuga, catching the swing in his hands. He had been on this end of Neji's rage in the past. He could keep himself from getting too terribly injured.

He soon realized that this was very very different from any other time. Usually the rage would ice over and turn into cold determination and precision. This time, Neji was lashing out. The blows were less accurate, more forceful then they use to be. Lee shifted into a more defensive style, watching Neji's eyes. Neji's eyes were the things to watch if you knew what to look for. Lee had learned long ago to judge Neji's intent and seriousness by the set of his eyes. His eyes weren't serious right now. Lee hadn't ever really seen this look in his eyes before. It wasn't quite defeat or desolation as much as it was frustrated despair. His breath was harsh, harsher then it should have been for this exercise.

Lee sent a tentative punch Neji's way, just to see his reaction. It was surprised and uneasy. Lee frowned as he ducked under the next jab. He sent another kick Neji's way and watched closely. Soon he was trading punches and kicks with the enraged Hyuuga. Slowly Neji relaxed into a rhythm and Lee saw his eyes and shoulders un-tense.

The pace was almost meditative, but that didn't bother either boy as Neji used the time to turn off. He was sick of thinking for the moment.

000

Gai, after making sure his students were not about to kill each other took off. He hunted for Hiashi and found the Hyuuga clanhead sitting in a tree of all places. He was just outside the new academy where, unless Gai was mistaken, the youngest Hyuuga was currently occupied with studies. He plopped on the branch next to Hiashi with a dramatic sigh.

"It seems most youthful today to find oneself in a tree." Hiashi offered him a small smile, which he considered a triumph. Gai looked down to see that this view wasn't only to watch Hanabi. It also had the benefit of watching the KIA monument, where a lone figure with grey hair was standing. Gai turned to Hiashi with a questioning grunt.

"He'll need your support." Gai's eyebrow rose at that statement. As a general rule, Hiashi stayed out of Kakashi's business. It had been that way ever since Kakashi had started dating Her. Even though Gai knew that there had never been a competition, he still felt that air of restraint between them. "You are familiar with the three newcomers Sakura befriended while she was kidnapped?" Gai nodded, having heard of that particular adventure from Lee. He was also aware that for the past month or so the redhead and her best friend had been working with them to try and pinpoint their identities. "The woman, she's a dozen years older then we are, plus a few. Neither girl had thought to introduce her to any of their sensei, or rather we have all been way too busy." Gai nodded, waiting for the part that effected Kakashi to such an extent. "That woman is Uchiha Mikoto." Gai froze.

He felt the world fade away as that thought entered his mind. _ Uchiha Mikoto. Itachi's mother. Sasuke's Mother! _He looked over at the distant figure of his best friend, not really taking in the scene._ Mikoto..._

_"Maito, you idiot! When will you learn to stop sneaking up on a mother lion!" He smiled brightly at the young mother as he waited for his teammate. She whacked his arm playfully. "Careful or I'll sic Itachi on you!" Gai chuckled as her husband gave a full belly laugh. Itachi's blush went nuclear as he muttered something incomprehensible. His mother simply smiled at him and patted his head. "I know you'll always protect your mother." _

_"Yeah Yeah..." The young Uchiha grumbled as he followed Kakashi and Gai. Gai looked back at the boy._

_"Great Mom you got there." Itachi looked at him, unsure whether he was teasing or being serious. He glanced around briefly and upon determining they were alone he looked at Gai._

_"She's perfect."_

Gai jumped in his seat as Hiashi's hand rested on his shoulder. He looked at Hiashi, realizing that he had just gotten lost in a memory. Of all the murders that Itachi was accused of, his mother was the one Gai couldn't agree with. He had met the young mother when Itachi was a genin on his first team and the only person Itachi cared for more would have been his younger brother. But now, Kakashi was reliving all the memories, the pain of both Itachi's betrayal and Sasuke's childhood and eventual betrayal.

"Thanks" Gai leaped off. He didn't need to specify with Hiashi. Although of the group, they were not the closest, neither had ever been particularly verbose, choosing to communicate with looks and posture. He trusted Hiashi to hear his feelings. _Thanks for telling me. Thanks for helping him. Thanks for helping me._

_Thanks for being there._

000

Naruto panted as he finished the weapons training for the day. He waved off Shingo as he jogged over to his aunt. He had been hoping for some time today to practice their music. Ever since he had learned that his father had played and he had heard that one sing written for him and Neji by their fathers, he had wanted to learn it. Haruka had started teaching him but his training had come first. She told him that he was sufficiently caught up with his training to start the lessons again.

Over the past few weeks he had settled in to the village peacefully. The village hunted nearby, fished downstream and generally was of a jolly nature. Today he wanted the distraction. Sakura was freaking out still, and refusing to let him calm her, Hinata was deep in discussion with her council, elections were only three weeks away, and Neji was still very upset, about something that he refused to talk about and had kindly asked Naruto to mind his own damn business, which Naruto did gladly. He was happy to avoid the Hyuuga's prickly temper and let Lee handle this, not having the slightest clue himself on what to do, and frankly too far away to be much help.

He also wanted to distract his Aunt. Last night they had sung about their lovers. Although Haruka had never come out and said, she seemed to miss her mate terribly. Although Naruto assured her that Kakashi had absolutely no one of romantic interest right now, her fear of abandonment seemed to grow as their eminent return grew closer. She blamed herself for breaking her bond with, not only him, but with all her bond-brothers/mates/whatever she called them. Naruto himself tried not to empathize with her on that too much, while still sympathizing. The thought of his bond with Hinata going dead was enough to send his spiraling into a panic that had taken Hinata and Haruka combined a good hour to talk him out of. He shuddered to even think about it, let alone to try and understand what it would feel like.

He did understand the look her face would get when looking out over the land, as if she wanted to reach out, to hell with the distance involved, and touch her mate. Hold him for a brief moment, feel the comfort of his presence in her mind and the stability of his chakra near her body. When he longed for Hinata, the distance seemed like both nothing and everything at the same time. He could see her pleading within herself, that if Kami would grant her this one wish, she would never asked for another thing. Her bond to him helped sooth the emptiness, especially the gap where his parents, her brother and sister, should be. Naruto was her only family left, whether related by blood or not.

Blood was actually an interesting thing. Although they may have had some distant relative who married, they probably didn't share a common ancestor, since the Namikaze line is made up of many lines with the same goal. His eyes, when transformed, were of a completely different family branch then hers, meaning they probably weren't related by blood.

He sighed as he found he staring off into space on the edge of the village. Maybe the music would distract her.

000

As Neji relaxed, he morphed into the Juuken style and started going through the basics with Lee. His friend, easily recognizing the beginning of his teammates style, shifted automatically into the counter for each move, picking up speed as Neji did. As they worked their way through the tougher moves, it gradually became a match. On in which both fighters relished the thrill. Neji's precision and speed, enhanced by his kekkei genkai as they were, pushed the Juuken to new levels until they both halted and breath away from a finishing blow on either side.

Their panting was interrupted by clapping off to one side. Dropping their poses, the two Chunin turned to see Shikamaru standing with two shinobi from Suna. The boy was silent, brooding almost, with light hair and eyes. In fact, with different coloring and some distinct costume changes, he could have passed for Sasuke. The girl, who was skipping towards them, still clapping, had her hair in a half bun, letting the golden tresses fall down her back. Her costume, in playing with her stature, left little to the imagination, or rather invited the imagination for the parts that were hidden. Neji controlled his reaction as she popped up to him rather bouncily. She was talking quite quickly about her clan's jutsu and was asking way too many questions about his clan's, for him to ever answer them all. Somewhere in the commentary he learned that these were the two from Suna Hanabi and Yuuki had mentioned. He sighed slightly and held up a hand to halt her tirade.

"I'm Hyuuga Neji, this is Rock Lee. I would be happy to answer your questions, however it would be easier to answer them one at a time." He saw Shikamaru's eye roll over her shoulder as she slowed her commentary down significantly. He patiently explained his clan's use of chakra points and chakra flow. A half hour later they were sitting in the training field still.

"Your clan has it easy. My clan, we have to memorize the locations and it sometimes is still wrong. For example when you get someone who is significantly larger or smaller then the model, and then certain people have different ones by birth and then you have kekkei genkai. It just all becomes so much guess work, but your clan can actually see the points themselves. That must be dead useful."

"Your style uses chakra points?" His question was inserted when she took a breath. She nodded and explained about her clans ability to make senbon needles made of chakra, making them easy to manipulate at will.

Lee and Shikamaru were sitting off to one side letting Neji handle the hyper kunoichi. Lee shook his head and watched the girl inch closer and closer to his unsuspecting friend. Her brother was of no help in this, standing like a statue behind them.

All in the clearing, save her brother, started when she leaped up. Her brother was probably used to it, lee thought wryly.

"A match! We should have a match! What better way to show each other our clan's skills." Neji looked as stunned as his village-mates, but nodded his consent. He felt sufficiently recovered from his sparing with Lee and they were supposed to foster good relations with Suna.

000

Gai didn't go to see Kakashi right after he left Hiashi. His best friend seemed okay for the moment, if a bit down, and he needed some time. It was one thing to help Kakashi out of a bout of depression from a memory, but the real thing? A memory Gai had processed and new what to do. But even he was still processing seeing Mikoto after all this time. Kami, he had helped bury her family!

He set off in search of Ino and Sakura. He really wasn't sure why this was a good idea, but he wanted to check on Sakura. Besides, it gave him time to think.

000

Asuma sighed as he met with the little creature again, once more imploring him to give the message to Koneko. Chonbo would only say that he wasn't allowed to say. Which Asuma knew meant that she had contacted him. Otherwise the creature would simply say he still had the message. He didn't know why Koneko wouldn't respond to his message, but he trusted her judgment on this. He walked slowly back towards the village, trying to piece together how he felt about Mikoto's return. He just couldn't put it to feeling yet. It was too surreal, to much rumor in his mind. Without someone to tell him it was real, he felt disconnected from the news, somehow.

He sighed and then let a smirk cross his face at the figure carrying fruit from the market. Her hips swayed as she hummed to herself, her red eyes closed to her surroundings. He dampened his chakra completely before sliding up behind Kurenai. His loved the little squeak she gave as his hands slid around her waist, reveling in the muscles of her strong tummy. She giggled slightly as he pulled her back against him.

"Moe, how can I prepare a dinner for us if you don't let me get home?" They traded off making dinners when they were both available for such an engagement, which wasn't often. He smirked as he let his breath float over her neck, just under her chin. The delicious shiver that ran the length of her body sent chills of pride and pangs of hunger through him. His firey little kunoichi was a powerful creature who had bestowed her grace upon him and he intended to worship her for every moment he could.

000

Neji ducked the spikes as they embedded themselves in a nearby tree. He knew they would stay there until she either lost her concentration on them or was knocked unconscious. They were a formidable weapon. He was actually enjoying himself. Their styles worked on the same principle of disrupting chakra flow int he body, however unlike his family, whose style was more precise, but required physical contact for the most part, her style could attack long range. He knew Hinata was capable of making spikes similar but they only lasted for their flight throught he air, not have the cohesive strength to remain together past an initial hit.

She had mentioned something about taking a shinobi from the village back to Suna with her to help Gaara with the relations between their two villages. He had to admit he was intrigued.

Turning a bit, dodging one of her closer onslaughts, he saw her lose her footing. Stepping backwards, he wasn't able to retreat quick enough and the two of them collapsed.

Lee's eyes tightened as the two fell to the ground. He didn't think she had lost her balance so easily. In any case, he was glad Ten Ten wasn't here to see a strange, beautiful girl laying on top of Neji, both panting with exertion. Hearing a gasp, he looked one side to see that his inner thoughts had become a very real reality. Unfortunately for Neji.

Ten Ten was grinding her teeth off to one side. She stomped forward, gaining the attention of the two combatants. Neji looked up at his teammate as he assisted the kunoichi to her feet.

"Ten Ten? What are you doing here?" Lee winced internally, not one of Neji's best opening lines. The bunned kunoichi seethed quietly a moment.

"What are you doing?" Neji cocked his head slightly, frowning as whatever was bothering him before started returning.

"Training." His short answer did nothing for him in Ten Ten's mood.

"Training?" She practically snarled at him. He glared at her angrily.

"Yes training! She has amazing skill. I could learn a lot from her. She's here from Konoha to look for an ambassador to return with her." Now Neji was practically snarling back. Lee and Shikamaru had risen and were watching warily for a way to intervene and quiet the hotheaded couple.

"You call that training?" She gestured wildly at Moto, who was dusting herself off carelessly. Lee's opinion of this kunoichi as a person was decreasing quite rapidly. Neji, however, wasn't paying attention to her, focused entirely on his annoyed girlfriend.

"Yes, training, to get stronger! You know, that thing we are supposed to be doing as shinobi. To protect the people we care about?" Lee's gaze sprung to his teammate immediately, pieces of a puzzle falling into place. Neji was frustrated. Frustrated that Hinata and Ten Ten didn't need his protection, rather the reverse. They were reaching their goals. Lee was even reaching his goal. Neji's goal had been to protect his cousin and friends. Before Naruto, he hadn't been able to have a goal, and after his goal was to fix the past and protect his friends and family. If that goal was taken away from him and without a destiny to seemingly fight, he didn't know quite what to do with himself. He was trying to become stronger so that protecting his family could be a goal again. But he needed to be stronger, because right now he thought they were strong enough to not need the protection from someone at his level. Hinata had helped protect the village from that flood thing and Ten Ten was mastering her family's style. They were growing. So where did that leave Neji?

"You want to be involved in her _training_?" Ouch, Lee had heard that particular derision in Ten Ten's voice before. Neji may have been blind to Moto's advances, but Ten Ten clearly wasn't. The girl in question smirked to herself.

"How about a match then?" Her innocent voice was a barb in the ears of those who knew what to listen for. Both Neji and Lee sighed in exasperation as Ten Ten yelled back at the girl.

"You're on!"

000

Gai leaned against the pillar as the two girls walked out of the sweets shop. He had located the two easily enough. Ino was trying her hardest to cheer Sakura up, or get her to talk at all. The girl seemed to be singularly comatose in her moving state. She gave one word answers if any at all. They passed a bench on the sidewalk, one where Ino's steps seemed to falter. Gai looked on as Sakura halted altogether. He could see her shaking from where he stood.

"This is it." Her quiet voice barely crossed the distance. "This is where I failed him." Ino frowned at her friend, worriedly. "I let him go." Sakura just folded in on herself, crumpling down, crying her heart out. The retched sobs tore through the quiet street as he held himself from going to her aid. He would be no comfort to the distressed kunoichi.

"He suffered from that mark every moment he fought it. I begged him! I begged him to fight it. To be strong. It must have hurt so much!" Her heartfelt cries tore through her words, making them pleas of agony. She no longer censured the tears that flowed freely down her face to collect in the hands she used to old her flushed cheeks. "How could he stand so much pain!" She burst into a round of quiet wails, letting her sorrow and fear overcome her a moment, before the strength to speak returned. "And then his mother returns! And he's not here. BECAUSE I FAILED HIM!" Her broken sobs muffled as Ino finally gathered her friend in her arms, murmuring soft nothings. Gai felt himself tear as he saw Ino doing. Simply listening to the uncontrolled emotion Sakura was feeling was enough.

He jumped as a hand landed on his shoulder. Turning he saw Kakashi standing there. Like Gai at this point, the CopyCat Shinobi had tear-tracks on his face, Tsume rubbing his ear in a worried fashion. Gai smiled slightly at his friend to show he was alright and nodded. Kakashi handed the slightly wet cat to Gai and the two Jounin slowly advanced on the tearful girls. Ino was the first to notice them, naturally. Sakura looked up at Kakashi when she felt Ino's chakra change. She saw Kakashi's expression as he knelt down in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Sensei!" Her broken voice forcefully spitted out her shame. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. Sensei!" Kakashi gathered the frightened kunoichi in his arms and held her tight as Ino let her go. Her arm mirrored Gai's as they both let their hand rest on their best friend's back, silently giving them their support as they let themselves feel. Kakashi's trembling and Sakura's sobs filled the street as Kakashi regained control enough to answer his student.

"_I'm sorry too_."

000

Lee watched the battle in fascination. Or rather he gave off that appearance. In truth his attention was on his teammate next to him. Neji had watched the beginning of the battle with interest, the look in his eyes telling Lee that he was analyzing the moves made by the newcomer, hoping to learn rom this fight. As such, he didn't pay much attention to the words spoken. Lee had to admit, the only time Neji _did_ pay attention to words spoken in battle was when he was involved in the dispute, and he _knew_ about it. Lee felt that he probably would have benefited from listening to this conversation a bit closer. It definitely involved him.

"He's really cute, ne?" Ten Ten's eyes narrowed at her coy smile, increasing her pressure as the two faced off. Moto smiled slyly. "He seems really interested in my style." Ten Ten hissed at her.

"Only the style, not the person." But Moto simply smiled wider. "Hands Off!" Ten Ten was growling now.

"Now now, he seemed happy to return with me to Suna. Once there, I'm sure he'll see the benefit of a more feminine girl." Ten Ten's grasp on her kunai tightened.

"He's not leaving for Suna, and even if he were, it wouldn't be because of you!" She leaped back and drew her scroll off her back. Lee and Neji's eyes widened as she performed her twin dragon move.

Lee's surprise at Ten Ten being baited this far turned into amusement as he glanced at Neji. Before he had been assessing the fight, both fighters, Moto more then Ten Ten. Now, his eyes were watching Ten Ten. They weren't assessing, but admiring. Though he had never told Ten Ten, Lee was well aware of how awesome Neji thought their female teammate looked when performing this attack. The fluid and grace combined with the power and confidence had always drawn his eye, even back when his team was a nuance.

In a way, Lee agreed. This attack personified Ten Ten, graceful, accurate, and deadly. This was the combination the drew Neji to his girlfriend. They had actually sat down one evening to discuss this, not that Lee would ever tell Ten Ten that. He liked his head attached to his neck, thank you very much.

-Flashback-

Neji sighed in resignation as Ten Ten leaped off with a huff. She had been training a new attack with her scythe and kunai combination, but it hadn't come together. Finally, in an effort to retain most of their blood, Lee and Neji called a break. They had minute cuts throughout their body and she was still going. They were going to pick up tomorrow.

Lee panted next to his teammate as they both caught their breath.

"She's annoyed." Neji nodded, still panting too hard to even grin. Lee flopped back. "Her youthful ... _pant_ ... strength is ..._pant_... unending.._pant_" Lee heard Neji chuckle next to him as he too lay back, breath finally coming under control.

"She'll get it." Lee nodded. "Either that or we'll lose a lot more blood." Neji smirked as Lee nodded again in agreement.

"Ten Ten's joyful attitude will reap the benefits." Neji shook his head slightly, either at Lee's confidence in their teammate or his flamboyant method of speaking, or both, Lee was unsure.

"She'll get it." Neji repeated as he looked at the stars. "She's one of the smartest, strongest people I know." Lee was silent at the admiration in Neji's voice. "You know, she probably the most beautiful girl I"ve ever met." Lee looked at his friend, startled. Neji rarely talked about his feelings. He knew that Neji relationship with Ten Ten was kept under wraps due to his fears concerning his family. How the idiots hadn't realized how he felt was something Lee was both grateful for and puzzled about.

"She isn't just graceful." Neji had continued, unaware of Lee's side-thought. "She's smart, strong, determined" He turned to his friend with a smirk, "Deadly." Looking back at the sky he smiled slightly. Lee placed his hands under his head to allow him a small view of his teammate out of the corner of his eye.

"She's quite a woman, ne?" Neji smiled a the thought.

"Want to hear a secret?" Lee sat up to look at his teammate in question. "Promise you won't tell, not even Ten Ten? Especially not Ten Ten." Lee nodded again, grinning despite himself. "When Ten Ten performs her Twin Dragon attack, when she's in the air, I can't take my eyes off of her. I can't even move, except to watch her. Every move, every muscle, its like the most glorious dance." Lee stared at Neji as the Hyuuga sat up, face red as a tomato. "I think so anyway."

It occurred to Lee that not only was Neji embarrassed for admitting to such a thing, but for reaching out to Lee. Their friendship had deepened over the last few years. To the point where Neji was confiding in him, sharing the joy of his relationship. Lee couldn't be happier.

"Our secret, My Friend"

-End Flashback-

After that evening, Lee had always glanced at Neji whenever Ten Ten performed this attack. True to form, unless he was defending against the onslaught, he froze, eyes devouring her form, every time. This time was no different. Neji's attraction to Ten Ten as a woman wasn't despite her shinobi qualities, it was partially because of them. Lee was happy for Ten Ten.

This also suddenly explained to Lee why Neji wouldn't have not only not responded to Moto's advanced, but barely noticed them. He simply didn't care as much for the pretty ones.

Unfortunately, no one had explained this to either girls yet.

Speaking of the females. They had landed after Ten Ten's attack, Moto clearly victorious as she smirked at the enraged kunoichi, each weapon that glittered the field, captive of chakra senbon needles. Even Ten Ten was sporting some cuts. Lee winced, that couldn't have done much for Ten Ten's ego. Neither did Neji walking over to Moto and asking many in-depth questions about her chakra use. Lee saw the concerned thrice-over, he gave Ten Ten, but upon determining her unharmed, and like Lee, having been burned for offering sympathy before, said nothing. Usually this was a wise choice, saving that she snarled at sympathetic people when injured. Today, however, after what that fight had been about, Lee wasn't sure which was the right choice.

Moto, clearly was taking what she could, linking her arm in Neji's and guiding him back towards the village and engaging him in a in depth conversation about Konoha Clans. Lee caught the smirk thrown over the clueless Hyuuga's shoulder, that left Ten Ten fuming. Shikamaru sighed as he made to follow them but Hiru intercepted the chunin and started discussing politics, leading the boy back into the village, but away from the Hyuuga.

Lee shook his head. This was definitely one of the more annoying interaction he had had with Suna Shinobi. He looked at Ten Ten as she punched the ground hard.

"Ne, Ten Ten-" He reached for his friend.

"Just go, Lee. Just...just go." He heard the anger, and sadness in her voice. He knew she was going to train herself into the ground for the next little bit. He also knew that she would really rather be alone to let loose.

He nodded and leaped off, he had an Heiress to find.

000

Yuuki giggled as she watched the men put together the first round corner in the village. They were all wet, tired and laughing their heads off. It turned out that curved pipes had more complications then one would guess. This was their twelveth try. She had followed them out to their work area after their discussion earlier. She was under strict orders from Hinata to NOT over do it, not that she could. Her chakra pathways were a bit sore, making her very content to not use either her chakra or her bijuu's.

She continued to draw the schematic for the rest of the village as they hooked up the pipe for its test. She had never been part of a work group who had so much fun. Actually she wasn't sure she had ever even heard of a work group that had so much fun while working. She smiled to herself. Maybe she could fit in here for at least a short time.

She waved at them as the test was successful, meaning they would start adding the rounded, bridled corners to the rest of the village. Because of the power of water, if it is allowed to spiral wider, instead of narrower, it's energy can dissipate, causing less stress on the supports. This would increase the amount of drainage the village could handle in the future. _In case any more water bijuu decided to drench the city_, Yuuki thought wryly to herself. For all she knew, this was going to be a common occurrence, once Bushin returned. That blonde goof could make nearly anything happen.

She was brought out of her thoughts abruptly when the men started shouting and racing towards her. Glancing behind her, she saw why. The water damage had been extensive and most of the unstable buildings had been torn down later. Apparently they missed one, she thought as the wall fell towards her. Exhausted as she was and sore, she didn't feel capable of responding in any coherent fashion. Or in any fashion except to throw up her arms instinctively as a shield.

000

Hinata perused the papers with only half her attention. Lee had found her earlier and explained the Suna presence and mission. And the interest currently shown in her cousin. She frowned in annoyance, she really didn't think it was a good idea for Neji to go to Suna at this point, with all the clan changes and with Naruto due home in only a few monthes. She didn't think learning a new style was a good idea either, but rather to keep expanding on his style. But those reasons weren't the reason she was going to attempt to dissuade her cousin. It was the romantic interest that Lee described that made her willing to voice her opinion on this private matter to Neji. If he wasn't picking up on it, someone who was, needed to tell him, so that he and Ten Ten, and this Suna girl, weren't hurt in the end.

Not that she felt terribly inclined to like this Suna girl, Moto, Lee had called her. Lee disliked her, and that was quite a feat. She shook her head and smiled when Hoshi entered her room, leading Akamaru and Kiba for a nightly stroll. It had become habit that either Kiba or Shino, or both, would pop over with Hoshi and Akamaru a little after dinner to stroll and talk. She found she thought better that way.

000

Naruto laughed as he finished a story about to time Jiraiya had fallen asleep in a tree and had fallen out of said tree into a beehive. He had thought it the perfect line of defense. It was, but no one told the bees who they were defending.

He was seated at the story fire this night. When he didn't have his heart set on a different fire, he was usually dragged here for stories. He heard and told many storied around this fire, both happy and sad. He was calming down from his tale when his Aunt Kata started up with one.

"I'll tell you, I only met your father a few times, but one time was when I was visiting Kushina in Konoha. Your father was off on one of his meeting and we were talking at home. Your mother had a surprise for Minato. She just sat there smirking by the window, waiting for her husband. They had been married in secret for a few monthes at that point. He was whistling as he waltz home, completely unaware of what awaited him.

"Your mother just smiled and rose slowly and stood next to the door. When he came in he only saw me, since your mother was behind him. I'll never forget the look on his face when she wrapped her arms around him from behind. What a grin that one. Heart-breaker to the core." Chuckles ran around the fire. Naruto's eyes danced as he listened to more about his parents.

"He winked at me, 'Well now, who could be kidnapping me in my own home?', the rogue. Your mother just squeezed him, probably laughing to herself. Her response, after he turned to look at her was simply, 'The mother of your child'." Kata stopped to draw the suspense as Naruto leaned forward. He hadn't heard what had happened when his parents found out about him.

"He just kind of froze, eyes this big." she held out her hands for emphasis as the fathers in the group chuckled in their common knowledge. "The first move he did was to look at her tummy, which of course was still quite flat. He then looked back at her. Then at me. Then back at her. I don't think he had processed that we weren't joking with him yet. He was waiting for one of us to start laughing. When we both kept looking at him,he turned to Kushina and looked at her tummy again. I've never seen such a large grin on his face before. He didn't say anything. He just spun her around and gave her quite the kiss. Then he let go of her and spun me around, laughing.

"I don't think I had ever seen someone so happy to get that news. He danced around with us for hours, laughing and smiling until tears came down his face. Oh what fun!" She was laughing herself, remembering the fun. She shook her head. "To the rest of the village he might have been a leader, at home he was just Minato." Naruto looked at Kata in question. He hadn't actually asked Haruka what his father did in the village. Kata, still laughing, raised her glass high. "You were at your best when you were with Kushina Minato! Yondaime or not."

000

Yuuki's eyes were squeezed shut, even after she felt the wall not land on her. Her focus was on trying to slow her breathing. When she did open her eyes, she was stunned. Above her was a boy, only a few years older then her. He had the reddest hair she had ever seen. His vivid teal eyes focused on her as her eyes traced the pale, soft outline of his chin and ears. His arm was braced next to her head where she had fallen off her seat. He was kneeling behind her hip as she twisted her body to look up at him.

"Are you alright?" She had the feeling he had been asking that for a few moments. She mentally shook herself. She's rescued by a cute boy for the first time and she's already falling for him like a sap. Good grief!

"Yes, thank you I'm-" her voice died away as she saw what was behind him. A wall of sand surrounded them in a sphere, shielding them from the collapsing wall. "Thank you." She smiled shyly at him as he nodded and held out his hand awkwardly. She thought she saw nerves in his eyes as she took his hand in a firm grip. A moment after trying to pull herself up, she realized what Hinata had said about over doing it.

When she had moved the water from the village and back to where it belonged, she had held and managed an amount of water even Seiryuu was hestitant to attempt to handle. It had drawn not only all of her chakra, but most of her bijuu's, handling a small sea's worth of fresh water. Every muscle in her body had screamed in denial at the amount of concentration and chakra being used. Even a few days later, her motions were pained at best, impossible otherwise.

"I'm sorry. I overextended myself drastically recently. I can't actually move very well yet." She blushed as she looked down in embarrassment. Not a good first impression to an amazing guy.

"If its okay?" He gestured to pick her up. His unsure expression was adorable as his quiet voice. She nodded, turning even redder. He lifted her in his arms easily. She could feel his muscles through his shirt as he walked right through the sand bubble.

They were descended upon when they exited. All her new friends in the workforce were worried. It was a bit of chaos as she calmed their fears, explaining that she not hurt, but had overdone it for the day. When the boy had picked her up, her arms had automatically gone around his neck. Now in her explanations, one was waving about, but one remained around his neck. Likewise, he seemed interested in keeping a hold of her and hadn't set her down quite yet.

Eventually the worried workers dispersed mostly to return to what they had been doing. One offered to give her a lift home. For a moment it looked like the boy was going to refuse, but his companion came forward and reminded him of a previous appointment. Yuuki started when she saw Temari again.

"Temari-chan?" Temari looked at the girl for a moment, before the library and research done with Shikamaru and Sakura came back to her.

"Yuuki-chan?" Yuuki smiled and nodded. "Its good to see you. How have you been?" Yuuki smiled.

"Great, and you? Did you ever find the answer to your questions?" Temari glanced at the boy, still holding Yuuki, a moment and nodded. Yuuki looked between them a moment before it hit her.

"He's your brother?" Temari nodded warily.

"Yuuki-chan, this is my brother, Gaara-ni-sama. Ni-sama, this is Yuuki-chan. " She didn't elaborate as a few of the workers were still nearby. Gaara nodded to Yuuki.

"Nice to meet you, Yuuki-san" His soft voice barely covered the distance, but she heard him.

"Excuse me, I really should be getting Yuuki-san home." The worker who was carrying her home came forward. Gaara nodded and they transferred her from one set of arms to another. Temari looked at Yuuki.

"I'll be in the village a bit, we should catch up." Yuuki nodded.

"I'm staying at the Hyuuga estate." Temari nodded as she and her brother walked off, presumably to go to the meeting they had scheduled.

Yuuki didn't look back as she was carried away. If she had, she might have seen Gaara glancing back at her a moment.

000

They had wandered full circle back into the woods. Moto had kept the conversation flowing with questions about the Hyuuga clan and his style. Neji had asked a few questions of his own. He asked about her style, the use and theory of her chakra needles. They had wandered the entirety of Konoha in that time.

In fact, Neji was pondering the best way to give her a polite good night when he realized that they were a fair distance from the village and alone in the woods. As he looked at Moto, a warning bell went off inside his head. She turned to look at him with a very dangerous gleam in her eyes.

Neji backed away from the kunoichi as she sauntered forward.

"Neji-kun? Whats wrong?" He looked at her warily. She placed her hand on his shoulder as she looked at him with cool concerned eyes. Neji shuddered slightly at the predatory look.

"I think we sh-should return to the village now. I-I-I need to find my team." He backed away from her slightly to place some distance between them. Her smile widened.

"Aww, you're shy. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine." She purred as she closed the distance he had placed between them and then some. He decided enough was enough.

"It is time to return." He brushed her hand off his shoulder hurriedly and turned toward the village. He hadn't even stepped past her when she flung herself at him. He instinctively caught her, which he later considered a mistake. She looked up at him with big eyes.

"You don't like me at all any more!" He brought his arms up to push her away again when she caught his hands in hers. She had a piece of canvas in each. Shoving his body with hers, he felt his back hit a tree hard. She had stunned him in that move and his head snapped back against the tree hard enough to slightly daze him. She used the few seconds to raise his hands over his head and use her chakra needles to pin the cloth around his wrists. By the time he was aware enough, his hands were completely bound above him. He knew from the sparing that those needles weren't moving so unless something broke the tight fabric, he was caught. She placed four more in the pants around his ankles.

She placed her hand on his chest gently.

"There, now you don't have to be worried. You are so beautiful." She nuzzled his cheek as she let her hands wander inside his shirt. Neji pulled at the binds as her hands ventured over undiscovered territory, except to Ten Ten. He grimaced as she brushed a nipple and then gave it a squeeze. She smiled as she pulled his shirt so it wasn't tucked in.

"We will have to get rid of this, won't we." Neji felt the shirt being pushed apart and she used her needles to rip the sleeves. She pulled it off him, exposing his chest to the night air. Neji gasped as the shirt fell away.

_Shit!_

000

Gaara sat with Temari and Shikamaru in the restaurant. They had finished discussing the new treaty and were now discussing other villages when Ten Ten wandered in. She looked aver and saw the two Suna. Stepping over, she waited politely for a break in the conversation. Once she had one, she addressed Gaara.

"Gaara-san, do you really want a Hyuuga positioned in Suna?" Gaara looked at her in confusion as Temari voiced it.

"What do you mean?" Ten Ten explained what Moto had told them. Gaara and Temari simply looked more confused. Shikamaru hadn't mentioned the sibling in the hopes of erasing the very boring conversation with the very boring brother from his mind. He had been very glad to beg off when he heard that Temari and her brother were in the village. He had hoped to avoid them in negotiations if possible. He already was feeling a headache coming on. Finally Gaara spoke.

"I do not believe our village would profit from a continuous presence of other shinobi. I do not know of the Kiryu clan." Ten Ten looked at him a moment before disappearing out the window.

_Shit!_

000

Neji had been hoping to get closer to Ten Ten eventually but he hadn't ever found the right time or place to do more then light caresses. Being tied to a tree didn't seem right either. Moto's heated gaze showered his upper body as he forced himself to not respond to her blatant arousal. He didn't want to feel aroused, not by her, definitely not in this position. He held back a gasp when she flicked her tongue out to taste his nipple.

"Salty. I wonder if all of you taste this way." She covered his panting mouth with hers as she pulled herself flush to Neji's straining body. Neji felt her fingers slide down his side to his hips and pull them towards her as she moaned. Neji wrenched his head away from her lips in anger.

"Free me and leave me alone, now!" His hard, activated eyes bore into hers. She smiled as one wandering hand slide around the top of his waist band. Both shinobi could feel the quivering stomach as she slyly smiled. Then her hand lowered to cup him. His eyes widened as his Byakugan deactivated instinctively. His neck arched at the feeling. She purred into his ear.

"See you do like that." Neji felt shame burn through him as he felt himself become aroused. He bit his lip to keep from moaning as she rubbed him lightly through the fabric of his pants. He tried to control his breathing and calm down when he felt a familiar chakra heading their way.

Apparently, Moto felt it too, for she growled in that direction. She gave him a quick peck before stretching a bandage over his mouth and whistled.

"I guess we'll have to talk with your little shadow." He looked at her and pulled on his hands in futility. Ten Ten landed in the clearing even as another stranger did. Neji saw his love's eyes flash in anger when they made contact with his. He watched as she jumped back as the brother landed in front of her.

"Why did you come out here? Didn't we make it clear to you? I told you, Neji is coming with me. He even confirmed it." Neji's eyes widened. He thought back over the last discussion and realised how it could have been taken given the right push. He hadn't intended to leave with Moto, even back when he did trust her. He looked at Ten Ten desperately. She grinned.

"Funny, Gaara-san is visiting Shikamaru and he's never even heard of you. Besides if Neji is all for this then why, pray tell, is he gagged?" Moto smiled that foxy smile that currently made Neji shudder in terror. She leaned against him, twirling circles on his chest.

"Because my Neji-kun is kinky. He likes it this way. See?" To his horror she cuped him and gave a slightly squeeze. His muscle bunched as he wriggled away. Ten Ten blushed as Moto smiled. Ten Ten finally shook her head and glared at Moto.

"I am not giving him up!" Moto smiled.

"I think we already established which one of us is stronger. And Neji-kun has been training me." She nuzzled him with her whole body. Neji closed his eyes in his attempt to keep from reacting to the very feminine form rubbing against his. He was only male. Regardles of what his mind thought, his body had decided it was tired of waiting for the honorable idiot in charge to find a release. Feeling the chakra in the area shift, he opened his eyes to see a sight he hadn't seen in a while.

Ten Ten was blazing mad.

She was trembling in anger as she pulled out a small scroll. Neji's eyes widened. She had told him about the scroll but she had never used it. It was her final attack. The one she had been working on. He didn't know what it was. He was never supposed to find out. She had three of them each doing something different. Ten Ten was holding the most benign. Moto laughed.

"That one's even smaller than the one I beat!" Neji swallowed as he saw Ten Ten jump high. She tossed a flash bomb and opened the scroll.

Neji's eyes closed against the bright light and when they opened again the two opponent were on the ground covered in wood chips. Neji looked at them in confusion as Ten Ten landed. Ten Ten slapped her hands together in a satisfied fashion.

"I've been waiting to do that!" She looked at Neji, who was blinking in an attempt to regain all of his sight. She walked over to him as he stood where he was bound. She smirked at his torn shirt. Abstractly she noticed that the chakra needles didn't dissipate immediately when Moto fell unconscious.

"Really, Neji, she must have been eager to tear your shirt. You must have really put on a great show." Neji winced at the scathing tongue. He hadn't exactly encouraged her, but he hadn't really stopped her until just recently, he hadn't even noticed until just recently. He looked at Ten Ten helplessly. She glided a finger down his cheek until she came to the bandage he had over his mouth. She smirked again.

"Maybe I should just leave you here for her to wake up." Neji looked at her in panic. She chuckled as she gently ripped the bandage off his mouth.

"Ten Ten, I didn't mean it that way! I never wanted to leave! I wanted to help Gaara-san and Suna. I-murph" He was cut off when her mouth covered his. She had figured this out, but it was good to hear him say it. She looked at Neji's glazed eyes and realized that he was panting. She grazed her finger tips over his chest and to his stomach then up again to his arms. Neji let his moan out as he arched into her touch. He was still slightly hard from Moto's ministration but the touch of the one he wanted flare his desire immediately.

"Ten Ten..." His back arched when she nibbled on his neck. Her hands landed on his buttocks as she crushed herself against him. She blushed hotly as she felt his need on her thigh. He had never been this responsive before. Though she had made him uncomfortable enough to need a cold shower before. She smiled as she kissed him and reached forward. She teased his waistband earning another moan from her bound boyfriend. He bucked against her slightly as she licked his ear.

"O-ne-gai...Ten-Ten!" His pleading was becoming more strained as he pulled on his wrists to gain freedom. Ten Ten blushed as she hesitantly touched him. He arched away from the tree, panting as he tried to remember that breathing was somehow important. Ten Ten licked his nipples as she worked up her courage to do more. Her mother had taken her aside several months ago and they had a very hot discussion about males and pleasing them. Her mother was a bubbly chatterbox and she rarely was embarrassed about anything when with her family, though thankfully she had the mercy to not include Ten Ten's father for both their sakes. She thought Ten Ten would like to know for when she became serious with Neji. She also included the anti-pregnancy jutsu.

Ten Ten returned to kiss Neji. She breathed over his lips.

"Do you want me to continue, Neji?" She hoped he did, but if not, she would back off.

There was no way Neji was telling his love no. Moto, he would have drudged up the strength, but not Ten Ten.

"Please, Ten Ten, I- don't stop...Please-" Neji was panting as he tried to focus on the girl in front of him. Ten Ten kissed him, feeling him passionately thrusting into her mouth as she reached under his waistband. The other hand reached up blindly to cut free one hand. Neji's hand immediately grabbed her and pulled her close. Her hand closed on him as he spasmed. He felt her hand on his cheek as she, with his help, lowered his pants beyond his straining manhood. Ten Ten grasped it and pumped as she remembered her mother telling her. She felt Neji shudder and then arch again. This time, his free hand scrambled to find purchase during the intense emotion. Finally it settled on pulling Ten Ten in for a kiss. Ten Ten felt Neji grow harder and larger until he released her lips to give a soundless cry. She felt a warm liquid come on her hand. As Neji panted, she drew her hand up to look at it. Gingerly she licked it. Neji thought he would loose it when he saw that. Hell, the only reason he was standing was because one of his wrists was still tied to the tree. With his other arm, he pulled her into a passionate kiss.

Ten Ten smiled as she felt the passion of the kiss. Neji nuzzled her cheek.

"Ten Ten..."

"Neji...?" He finally looked at her, lazily. Then stopped. He looked over at their opponents and sighed when he saw them still unconscious. Ten Ten giggled.

"Shall I tie them up so we can return with them?" Neji smiled as he held her, but nodded.

"After two more requests." Ten Ten looked at him strangely. "One, remind me to show you what you gave to me." She shivered as he whispered in her ear.

"A-a-and two?" He smile ruefully.

"Please finish untying me." Ten Ten laughed.

000

Hinata wandered into the restaurant. She had been looking for her cousin for sometime now. She looked over to Gaara, who was speaking with his sister. Shikamaru had stopped talking sometime earlier and was simply staring very hard at his empty glass of juice.

"Gaara-san, have you finalized your decision on the village ambassador?" Gaara shook his head as Hinata gave Shikamaru an odd look. He wanted to talk more with Tsunade first.

"Tomorrow Tsunade will introduce us to a shinobi who could help us with a mantanience problem we are having in the village. Temari will stay here in exchange." Hinata nodded in relief. She both thought that type of trade would better benefit their villages and didn't want to loose her cousin. Serious business out of the way, she turned to Shikamaru. She had been wondering something since she entered the room.

"Shikamaru-kun, what is that oil?" He tensed up at the question and took a deep breath. Kiba and Akamaru waltzed in as he answered.

"Its a muscle relaxant I got from Hiru." She frowned at it. The scent was familiar, but she couldn't place it. She was distracted from her thoughts when Kiba muttered a very annoyed "oh hell" and both master and dog rushed and dunked their heads in the restaurants fountain. This caused everone, but Shikamaru to stand up in alarm.

Temari nearly jumped out of her skin when Shikamaru's arms snaked around her waist. He had been quiet for sometime and twitching in an odd manner. When she had stood up, she had ended up in front of him. She squeaked as he pulled her into his lap and placed his nose under her ear.

"'Increased Hieght'" Hinata looked at Kiba as he spoke bitterly. She sighed and looked at Shikamaru and walked over. Picking up a glass, after checking that the contents were water, she overturned the contents on Shikamaru, and somewhat by extension, Temari. She turned to the oil and sealed the open jar.

"Kiba will explain, please keep this sealed and turn it in to Tsunade-sama or Ibiki-san. Its an illegal substance in this village." She left in a hurry. If they had recieved that from Hiru, her cousin was in trouble.

They all stared after the heiress as she left before Gaara turned to Kiba with a questioning look. He answered without prompting.

"We ran into it on a previous mission. Increased Hieght is the slang name for the drug. Its scent hyper stimulant any endorphins already being created." He blushed. "That's where the name comes from. It takes any interest in 'that' area of the male and 'raises' the 'hieght' of 'it'." He looked at Shikamaru and shook his head. "It doesn't create interest, but its painful to ignore. The water neutralizes the odor, but the effect..." He looked down, thoroughly red by now. Temari looked at her almost boyfriend who was nuzzling her neck and muttering to himself. No wonder he had been so tense, He had been holding himself completely respectable this entire time. Of course, when around her brother, one did everything one could to avoid conflict, especially with his family.

000

Hinata stopped by Lee's house to collect him, telling his parents that his team needed him for a late night training routine. She explained the drug on the way to the clearing where her bond with her coucin was leading her. Naruto responded to her earlier question that Neji was fine. Definitely drugged and probably goofy, but safe and sane.

She nearly smirked when she landed in the clearing to see two bound shinobi and two kissing shinobi. Ten Ten noticed her and Lee first.

"Hinata-chan!" She ineffectively pulled away from Neji. He glanced at his cousin with a lazy grin. Hinata shook her head. She wandered over.

"Itoko, you really got into it this time." Smirking, she looked at Ten Ten. "Those two were carrying an illegal drug that stimulates aroused states in men, to a near painful level, I might add. Her brother carried it in oil form. Water will wash it off and nutralize the scent, but it won't er- get rid of the 'problem'" She tried very hard not to look at her cousin at this. Ten Ten and Lee were bright red by now. Hinata looked around the clearing.

"I'll take these two into the village. Should I escort Neji home first? Or would it be better out here?" She was looking at Ten Ten. She new that even un-drugged, her cousin trusted his girlfriend to take care of him. Ten Ten shook her head.

"I can't imagine he wants even the possibility of running into his uncle like this." Hinata shook her head in rueful agreement.

"To say nothing of Hanabi." Neji would be mortified. Ten Ten glanced over at Lee, who nodded to her unspoken question.

"I'll take him over to the river and get him to wash up. If you could swing by my home and let my parents know where I am, I'll stay with him. Lee can watch over us." Hinata had figured as much at this point. She nodded to Lee and Ten Ten. Akamaru, who had come out there at Kiba's request, had already picked up one of the shinobi and she picked up the girl.

"His memory might be a bit vague for a while after he sleeps, but it will come back." She looked at Ten Ten but didn't say the real concern. She knew Ten Ten knew it. Don't take advantage of my cousin. They both trusted each other more then that.

000

Tsunade eyed Gaara with some trepidation the next day. He looked minorly annoyed. When Gaara is minorly annoy, someone might die. She was aware of the drug that the two non-suna siblings had brought and hoped it had not caused too much trouble. Ibiki had the two in his clutched now and was most likely enjoying his fun. Provided they woke up. They had had the most peculiar indents all over their body and were covered in wood chips and saw dust. She hadn't asked Hinata what had happened upon seeing the look on the Hyuuga's face. In this case, she thought, it might be better not to know. Hinata would have said anything if it were important she did, so she left it alone.

"As I understand it, you are trying to rebuild your plumbing system. Strangely enough so are we." Gaara nodded to her, face blanking to her relief.

"Yes, but not for the drastic reason I hear you had. Ours is simply far out of date and it needs help."

"And you were hoping some of our plumbers or water shinobi could be spared to assist." At his nod she continued, "Well, like I said we are rebuilding, but if its not a workforce, but knowledge you need, I think I do have a shinobi you could ask for a few monthes. Mind you, she isn't Konoha, so you would have to ask. I've asked to her to come today for this reason." Timed just right, a knock was at the door after that last statement. Yuuki entered upon recieving Tsunade's permission.

"This is Tsukina Yuuki. Yuuki-san this is the Kazekage of Suna. He has a request."

000

Neji sat up abruptly as the sun shined in his face. What the hell was he doing out side? He looked at the angel next to him. His abrupt awakening hadn't effected Ten Ten, though Lee had noticed as he leaped down in front of Neji with some water and onigiri.

"Easy, Hinata-chan said you'd be a bit fuzzy for a minute." Neji nodded mutely as he drank the water thankfully, letting the previous night come back to him slowly. His cousin had been expained what had happened. Though at the time he didn't find the conversation very important, he did now. His face burned at the thought of his cousin seeing him like that. He was very grateful that they hadn't taken him home. He didn't think his dignity would have survived if Hiashi or Hanabi had met him in that state. After Hinata had left, Ten Ten had coaxed him to the stream to wash.

He shivered as he remembered the feel of her hands on his chest, washing the oil from Moto away. He had pulled her close, melding their bodies together in an erotic fashion that still made his blood sing. She had been very understanding, keeping him from doing anything either of them would regret, now that she knew. Still, even with her restraint, she hadn't been able to stifle the moans he drew from her when his lips had caressed her neck. After the water play, they had lay on the side of the river in the bank. The soft grass made for a comfortable pillow, the cool water had significantly calmed his nerves...and other things...down.

He looked at her next to him. Her hair was coming out of her buns. It's slippery surface couldn't hold the shape long. He knew that she redid the buns at least twice a day. He loved her hair. It was one of her most beautiful attributes.

He looked at Lee as his friend sat next to him. He let himself sigh in sadness.

"They rescued me again." Lee's questioning gaze made him turn away in shame. He hadn't been much help, rather the reverse. Lee shook his head, gaining Neji's attention.

"That's what people who care about each other do. They help each other." Neji frowned as he picked a stalk of grass and then another.

"How can I help the people I care about if I'm not strong enough. Neither Hinata-sama, nor Ten Ten have needed me for anything for some time. I'm not strong enough!" He petulantly threw the stalks of grass he had collected. Lee frowned next to him, but he was not the one who spoke.

"We do need you." Ten Ten sat up next to Neji. "Hinata-chan still needs you. She is strong, but she also vulnerable. She needs your confidence in her, your care." Neji looked at Ten Ten in amazement. Words that he had once said to Hanabi came back to him.

_"Hanabi-chan, there are many different kinds of strengths. Hinata can spar well, but she needs her family. We protect her from her fears as well as physical attacks. She needs our confidence. Can you do that for your sister, Hanabi-chan?"_

He had forgotten the lesson he himself had taught Hanabi when Hinata finally defeated the girl. Ten Ten was right, Hinata confided in him, she needed him. He looked at Ten Ten, not just in gratitude, but also in confusion. Ten Ten smiled.

"I need you too. You are my important person." She wrapped her arms around Neji, smmiling. Grinning, Lee joined them.

"And you are both my important teammates." Neji looked at both of his teammates in surprise. They had come a long way from thinking that they were a nusance. Now they were friends. Well, Lee was, with Ten Ten the term friend probably didn't cover it. Neji leaned into Ten Ten.

"Thank you." Both chunin smiled. Neji looked up at them.

"Lets have an all night training time every week." Lee smiled, pumping his arms up in joy. Ten Ten stood, hands on hips, smiling proudly.

"Let's! We'll become the most conhesive team in Konoha." Neji smiled and nodded.

They would be a unified team.

000

Yuuki smiled hesitantly at the Kazekage. She hadn't known the boy she had met was the Kazekage. Of course, that meant that Temari was the sister of the Kazekage. She nodded to Tsunade as Gaara explained his request. She could do what he was asking, and was willing to travel to Suna, maybe even see Suzaku and her crazy jinchuuriki, provided they waited a few days for her to recover completely. Even today, walking was tiring. There was one thing.

"Before agreeing, there is something about me you need to know." She knew it would be safe to tell Temari and her brother, though not many others. Gaara nodded and waited patiently. She glanced at Temari a moment before looking down.

"I'm a jinchuuriki." She didn't see Gaara's eyes widen in amazement. Temari's eyebrow rose as she listened as Yuuki explained that she contained Seiryuu and what kind of relationship she had with her bijuu. She further explained that she would be glad to go with them, provided she could be back here in two monthes to meet up with Naruto. Temari nodded, answering her request.

"We planned to be here to meet up with him as well. As to the other, you know that I'm fine with it." Yuuki nodded, gratefully, but looked at Gaara next.

"Have you met other Bijuu?" Yuuki nodded at his soft question. Gaara was looking at her intently. Or rather Yuuki though he was. Temari knew differently. Gaara looked at someone that way when he was unsure of their response and he was preparing himself for the worst. "I am also a jinchuuriki." Yuuki smiled slightly, nodding.

Tsunade smiled herself, though not as widely.

"Well, now that that has been decided, Temari-san, since you and Hinata were going to work together, she offered you a place in the Hyuuga complex. She should be here later this afternoon to help you move in for the next two monthes. Gaara-san, If you would postpone your return one more day, so that Yuuki-san could finish healing, that would be preferable. I also wish to introduce you to the Suna-imposters tonight." Gaara nodded. Temari smirked at his face. She turned to Tsunade.

"How about I head over to Hyuuga complex now and introduce myself and Ni-sama and Yuuki-san find some lunch and discuss the up coming project?" Tsunade raised her eyebrow at the kunoichi's idea, recognizing the matchmaking potential in her eyes. She smiled.

"That would be a great idea, since I believe Yuuki-san has yet to eat lunch. Yuuki-san, you can show him the north market. There shouldn't be too many people there this time of day." Yuuki and Gaara just stared at the two women as they nodded and coaxed the two jinchuuriki out the door.

Yuuki looked at Gaara.

"Think we're missing something?"

000

Iruka stretched his back out. He was developing a kink from all the hunching over he was doing grading. He stopped when his hand collided with soft shoulders. Giggling slightly, Anko reached her arms around his neck, nuzzling him in the cheek.

"How's my favorite teacher?" Iruka smiled shyly. He was still unused to the blatant manor in which she flirted. She chuckled and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. "That is a very cute blush, Iruka-sensei." He shivered at the contact and mental imagery that action caused.

She rubbed her nose playfully on his cheek again. "If you're not busy tonight, how about dinner? Your place?" They both were pretty aware that her cooking was less than ideal, but his was superb.

He dragged his thoughts kicking and screaming back into a coherent order long enough to answer her. She laughed happily at his affirmative.

"I'll pick you up after school." Her voice floated after her as she vanished with a smirk.

Iruka smirked after her. How the blazes was he supposed to get any work done now?

000

Sakura took a deep breath. She looked at Kakashi and both nodded to each other. They were going to talk to Mikoto. Ino and Gai had volunteered to come, but they had said they would be fine. Sakura felt Ino didn't need to be here for this and Kakashi knew how much Gai had liked not only Mikoto, but her firstborn son.

They walked into the room together. Mikoto smiled as they entered.

"Sakura-san, I'm glad you have returned." Sakura introduced Kakashi and they all sat down to talk.

000

Across town another interesting talk was starting. Iruka smiled as Hanabi answered the door.

"Good morning Hanabi-chan. How are you today?" She smiled happily at her teacher.

"I'm great. How about you Iruka-sensei?" Iruka smiled and nodded.

"Aa, and what do you have planned for the day?" Hanabi shuffled a bit in a fashion Iruka recognized instantly.

"Konohamaru and Udon and I were going to meet up with Moegi in the market." He looked at her innocent look, ruined by the shuffling her feet were doing. He smiled, having seen that mischeif indicator on many students.

"Have fun, and don't cause too much trouble." HIs admonishing tone made her smile, "Now, is your sister home?" Hanabi thought about it a moment.

"I think so, she met with Tsunade-sama earlier, but she should be back by now. Come on, I think we'll find her in the kitchen looking for lunch." Hanabi pranced off, leading the way to the main Hyuuga kitchen. Iruka smiled at her energy, she was so different then Hinata had been at that age. Unfortunately there had been little he could do for the elder Hyuuga girl. He smiled as Hanabi announced him to Hinata and pranced off to find Konohamaru and Co.

Hinata was still smiling after her sister when Iruka finished entering the room.

"That sounded like trouble for someone. Iruka-sensei, please sit. I made Ramen for lunch, would you care for any?" Iruka smiled and accepted the meal, hoping that it would allow for a smoother conversation. He wasn't sure where to start. Luckily, he didn't have to.

"You probably want to know about how I released you from the building during the flood?" Iruka smiled slightly at the Heiress' perception. She set his bowl in front of him and sat, a far away look in her eye. Iruka looked at her and smiled softly.

"Hinata-chan." She glanced at her former teacher. "I didn't come today to ask how you did it, or to figure out what happened." Hinata's confused face stared at him. "I did come to thank you for saving my life, since I hadn't the chance earlier." Hinata was already shaking her head.

"Absolutely no thanks are necessary, Iruka-sensei." He smiled and nodded, rather then argue with her. Such arguments could last for a while and he no longer felt the need. His gratitude had been communicated and that was the important thing.

"I also came to ask if everything was okay." Hinata looked at the chunin, puzzled. Iruka chuckled. "Although I could probably guess some of what happened, I'm not going to. I am here to help you, Hinata-chan. If that means you want to tell me, needing an extra ear, then I am happy to listen and assist. If that means I don't know a secret, then I don't know it, and keep helping you in whatever way I can without knowing it. I"m here for you. I wanted to calm any fears you may have had about what I saw. But I also wanted to explain that I only want to know what happened if it helps you or another of my students for me to know." Iruka's hand had settled on Hinata's on the table. She was looking at Iruka. He saw her eyes move down and to her left. One of the few shy gestures she had kept after being accepted by her family.

"Iruka-sensei, you really are the best teacher any person in this village has ever known." Iruka blushed, chuckling at that.

"Well, I don't know about that. I don't have as much field experience as some, that's why you are taught by jounin instructors after you graduate." Hinata waved her hand gently.

"I did not say you were the best shinobi instructor, I said you are the best teacher." Iruka looked at her, mildly confused. She smiled and rose as the door opened to admit Neji, Ten Ten, and Lee. The three of them plopped, exhausted into seats, laughing quietly. They seemed to calm down enough to hear her next words.

"I am proud to call you sensei." The other three nodded as they looked at their teacher.

"Your youthful energy helped all of us."

"Better face it Iruka-sensei..."

"...You are forever our sensei."

They all laughed at his happy, stunned face.

000

Yuuki ate her dumplings quietly. They had wanted to get ramen, but the stand was a wee crowded and neither of them were that into crowds. They hadn't started up a conversation yet, having just gotten their food, and the previous conversation topic of where to eat had died down. She looked at Gaara out of the corner of her eye.

"Do you always carry a gourd?" She winced, but it was only thing that came to her mind. She listened as Gaara explained his control of sand and smiled. She then explained about how hers was with water and her role in the recent flood. They were seated a distance from the other customers, so she didn't mind going into more detail. From there they talked about how they trained for their respective elements and Gaara's confusion in having two elements. That lasted them all through lunch and Yuuki couldn't protest quick enough to stop him when Gaara took the bill.

She stood leave, completely forgetting her fatigue. Gaara's hand gently rested under hers as she swayed slightly. She blushed, thanking him as they exited the restaruant area. Gaara looked at her as he remembered what Naruto's teacher had said.

_"Do you think there's a mate for everyone?" Haruka smiled._

_"Yes." She glanced towards the door where Gaara was standing and watching Naruto, listening to their conversation on the side. "Everyone."_

He had only known this young woman a day and yet, when he was near her. He felt calm some how. As if her presence made everything all right. He let himself smile ever so slightly. They were leaving the next day to spend two months in Suna together. He had time to find out.

000

Naruto sat next to Haruka in annoyance. He hadn't been able to find her the previous night nor this morning due to their schedules.

"Why didn't you tell me that Yondaime was my father?" Haruka looked at him in amused annoyance.

"I didn't think it was terribly important. Minato kept his work well away from his family." Naruto growled.

"You didn't think it was important that the person who seal Youko in me was my father?" Haruka looked at him with sad eyes.

"I thought that would be painful, but overall, not important." Naruto groused to himself a moment. "Naruto, your father did what he did to protect everything he believed in. Everything Kushina-chan believed in. Everything you believe in. I would rather remember him as that person, than the one you sealed a demon in your gut." He looked over the expanse in front of them.

"I-" He stopped, not sure what he was going to say, before sighing. "Yeah, that makes more sense. I guess I'm just still a bit startled to hear about my parents." Haruka nodded.

"Go and talk to Hinata-chan about this. Trust me. Your mate can help." Naruto smiled at the thought of his mate. He had felt some of the goings on in Konoha. Neji felt better, Hinata felt happier, even Sakura was calming down now that she was talking to Sasuke's mother. Yuuki was heading to Suna, and might see Hiroto. Everything was okay. Life was good all around.

He couldn't believe all the changes that had happened in the last two years since he had left Konoha. He had grown. So had his comrades. Probably so had Sasuke. He lay back and smiled at the sun as he let Hinata's dialogue of the discussion with Iruka-sensei run through his mind. He would be home soon, but for now, he would simply enjoy where he was. They all had a part to play.

Swimming

to move coherently towards you goal

Floating

to stay still and observe your surroundings

Splashing

to enjoy changing the water and relishing the new

The ways one lives in the world

the ways of water

* * *

><p>Hi guys. Wow, and I thought the last chapters were long. 15,500+ words here. thank you so much to everyone who has followed me throughout Naruto's adventures away from Konoha. This will be my last piece in the story timeline where Naruto is away from Konoha. Meaning look for my next Naruto story. The long awaited return of Konoha's favortie hyper jinchuuriki will occur. You will see Haruka reunite with all her friends. Naruto surprise everyone on what he's learned. Family history will be explained. And much much more!<p>

Also, the next story will have a prologue that summarizes the series up to that point. I little reminder never hurt anyone and don't worry, it will go up the same time as the first chapter. If there are any specific reactions people are just dying to see, please let me know. Besides the obvious reunions of HInataxNaruto, SakuraxNaruto, and HarukaxKakashi, those will most definitely be shown in wonderful detail.

okay enough with the teasers. It might be a month or so, given my school work load. Please review and tell me what you think here.

Also I proofed the previous chapter and its all good.

I proofed this chapter now. Couple of reminders; Hiroto is from "Three" and "Wheel of Change". Temari knows Yuuki from "Trust is Earned, Not Given Away" Also, although Haruka tells Naruto about his parents in "Found Family" and after, she never mentions that he is Yondiame beyond saying that most of the village knew him by a Nickname.

Please review


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